U.S. Forest Service · Gila National Forest · New Mexico

Head of the Ditch Campground

This campground offers an easily accessible rustic streamside camping experience amongst tall pines. Head of the Ditch Campground is located in a scenic valley approximately 1.5 miles west of historic Luna, New Mexico on US Highway 180. The campground is marked with a blue campground sign, not with a Forest Service campground sign. Water from the San Francisco River which runs through the campground is used for irrigation in Luna Valley. The campground is located at the head of the irrigation ditch which gives Head of the Ditch Campground its name. The campground has a large open area and shady campsites with pine, oak, cottonwood, and willow trees.

Open nowFirst-come, first-served12 sitesFrom $0 per nightTents only

More like this: first-come in New Mexico · free in New Mexico · tent only in New Mexico

4fires
active
D6 - Luna Rx (prescribed burn) · 5 mi away · 2,156 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesThere is no fee for this campground ($0.00).

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestGila National Forest
BookingNo reservations are necessary. All Gila National Forest Campgrounds have 14-day stay limit.
FeesThere is no fee for this campground ($0.00).
RulesThere is a 14 day stay limit. OHV/ATV use is prohibited in the campground.

Gila National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Head of the Ditch Campground30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.21 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowFebruary: 1.05 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowMarch: 0.82 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowApril: 0.45 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowMay: 0.68 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.61 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 3.37 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.84 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.16 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.42 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowNovember: 0.86 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowDecember: 1.11 inches of precipitation, 6.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 32.7°F averageFebruary: 35.6°F averageMarch: 40.1°F averageApril: 45.9°F averageMay: 52.5°F averageJune: 61.2°F averageJuly: 66.4°F averageAugust: 64.5°F averageSeptember: 58.8°F averageOctober: 48.8°F averageNovember: 39.3°F averageDecember: 32.6°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Luna RS, 3 miles from the campground at 7,050 feet, station USC00295273 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 18 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates33.8169° N, 108.9870° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    D6 - Luna Rx

    5 mi from the campground · 2,156 acres

  • Prescribed
    D6 - Heifer Rx

    19 mi from the campground · 3,116 acres

  • Prescribed
    D6 Wallow West Unit 6 Rx

    26 mi from the campground · 7,605 acres

  • Prescribed
    D3 Hagen Rx

    34 mi from the campground · 5,757 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗24.4 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Head of the Ditch campground

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 2.7 mi
    Blue Spring
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.8 mi
    Trout Creek
    1.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.9 mi
    Airstrip Mesa
    4.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.8 mi
    Dry Blue Trail ↗
    4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 4.2 mi
    Mail Trail ↗
    10 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for New Mexico

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Head of the Ditch Campground?

No. Head of the Ditch Campground is first-come, first-served. No reservations are necessary. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Head of the Ditch Campground?

Nothing. Head of the Ditch Campground is listed as free. There is no fee for this campground ($0.00).

Source: Forest Service

Is Head of the Ditch Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Head of the Ditch Campground have?

12 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Head of the Ditch Campground?

Head of the Ditch Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Head of the Ditch Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Luna Lake (5.6 mi), Upper Blue Campground (9.9 mi, first-come), and Alpine Divide Campground (11 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby