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

Railroad Canyon Campground

Railroad Canyon is the gateway to the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. Railroad Canyon Campground is a great place to spend the night before beginning your trip into the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. Situated in the Black Range Mountains, the campground is a popular portal for backcountry trips. Amenities are few and the camping is lean, however, nature seekers will appreciate the myriad of trails accessible from this campground.

Open nowFirst-come, first-servedFrom $0 per nightTents only

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

Railroad Canyon Campground
Photo from the area. Gila National Forest (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
4fires
active
Rx Juan Mesa (prescribed burn) · 9 mi away · 105 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
BookingAll Gila National Forest campgrounds have a 14-day stay limit.
FeesThere is no fee for this campground ($0.00).
RulesOHV/ATV use is prohibited in the campground. Hunting and shooting are prohibited in the campground. Stock is not allowed in the immediate campground.

Gila National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Railroad Canyon Campground30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.64 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowFebruary: 0.42 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowMarch: 0.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowApril: 0.35 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 0.68 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.83 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.08 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.41 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.97 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 0.99 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowNovember: 0.74 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowDecember: 0.87 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 39.9°F averageFebruary: 44.0°F averageMarch: 50.6°F averageApril: 57.6°F averageMay: 65.5°F averageJune: 74.4°F averageJuly: 76.7°F averageAugust: 74.6°F averageSeptember: 68.5°F averageOctober: 58.4°F averageNovember: 47.2°F averageDecember: 39.3°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Hillsboro, 15 miles from the campground at 5,267 feet, station USC00294009 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 12 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 3 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates32.9083° N, 107.8171° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Juan Mesa

    9 mi from the campground · 105 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Papa Road Piles Fy27

    16 mi from the campground · 10 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Rendezvous Fy27

    19 mi from the campground · 34 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Terry Well Piles Fy27

    19 mi from the campground · 10 acres

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearOutdoor gear ↗27 mi
RV sales & serviceSolitaire Homes of Deming ↗44.8 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Gallinas Canyon ↗
    5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.7 mi
    East Railroad
    3.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.9 mi
    Rabb Park ↗
    8.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.9 mi
    Lower Gallinas
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3 mi
    Scenic Trail
    4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.3 mi
    Hillsboro Bypass
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

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 →

Aldo Leopold Wilderness begins about 7.9 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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.

Guidebooks for New Mexico

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

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

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Railroad Canyon Campground?

No. Railroad Canyon Campground is first-come, first-served. All Gila National Forest campgrounds have a 14-day stay limit. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Railroad Canyon Campground?

Nothing. Railroad Canyon Campground is listed as free. There is no fee for this campground ($0.00).

Source: Forest Service

Is Railroad Canyon Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Railroad Canyon Campground?

Railroad Canyon Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Railroad Canyon Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Iron Creek Campground (0.8 mi, first-come), Gallinas Campground - Upper (0.8 mi, first-come), and Kingston Campground (6.8 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby