Camping With The Oaks and Wild Horses
Oak Grove Campground in Ruidoso, NM
By Larry Tobin
Sometimes it’s nice to escape to a secluded camping area
and feel virtually alone in the quiet of the wilderness. At Oak Grove
Campground, just outside Ruidoso, New Mexico, the only sounds you’ll hear are
the bugling of the elk in the fall and the rustling of deer, turkeys, and wild
horses in the evening.
 This is one of my early-fall
favorites. It guarantees a memorable night.
Oak Grove is located 5.2 miles up Ski Run Road (also known
as Highway 532.) This is the 12-mile road off Highway 48 that rises from the
north end of the town of Ruidoso, climbing 3000 feet up Sierra Blanca to arrive
at the Apache Ski Area.
Ruidoso is a high mountain (6,900 feet) resort town nestled
in the pines of the Sacramento mountains in southern New Mexico, just east of
the Mescalero Apache reservation.
In Ruidoso you can enjoy numerous championship golf
courses, the Ruidoso Downs horserace track, the Spencer (performing arts)
Theatre, and two casinos—Inn of the Mountain Gods, and the Billy the Kid Casino
beside the Ruidoso Downs track. In addition, the Hubbard Museum of the West
contains excellent exhibits on “all things cowboy.”
The road up to Apache Ski Area is quite an adventure in
itself. Twelve miles of twists and turns deliver stunning views of Ruidoso and
the Capitan Mountains to the east, where Smokey Bear was rescued years back.
Beyond the Capitan Mountains, you can almost catch a glimpse of the famous, some
would say infamous, town of Roswell, New Mexico that lies 50 miles farther east.
This road is not for the squeamish. Though there are guide
rails in several key locations, this drive will still heat the blood of any
“flatlander” who has little mountain driving experience. But the views make the
drive worthwhile, even considering the few missed breathes and heartbeats.
One mile up the drive, you will see the right turn to
Monjeau Lookout. This classic stone lookout tower is a magnificent spot for a
picnic. This drive, however, is definitely not suited for the average vehicle. A
pickup or 4WD is my strong recommendation if you are considering this side
excursion.
Approximately 5 miles up Ski Run Road, you will be able to
look left into a lower valley where Eagle Creek Campground, run by the Mescalero
Apache tribe, is located. Open only during the summer months, this area was once
the original ski area on the mountain. You will see what remains of the lift and
chalet.
 Continuing upward a mile or two
farther, you’ll be at the entrance to the Oak Grove Campground. This campground
is operated by the Forest Service. Situated at 8,400 feet, and nestled among a
grove of mature Gamble oaks and fir, this campground offers outstanding views of
both the valley below and the road the continues up the mountain.
Open only during the summer, it contains no RV hookups or
waste station. In fact, the forest services states that the “…campground is not
recommended for trailers or RVs over 18 feet due to the grades and curves of the
access roads.”
What you will find are 27 tables and grilles and parking
area for open-site camping or small RV parking. Toilet facilities are dry, and
there are no other amenities whatsoever. However, the fee is a very reasonable
$6 per night, and the setting is remarkable.
All of the camp sites are located around a lush meadow that
is home to deer, wild turkeys, large herds of elk. In the fall, during rutting
season, as dusk falls, you will begin to hear the bugling of the bull elk at the
edge of the meadow, as they emerge from the forest. This bugling will continue,
being answered by the females, well into the late hours of the night.
The sound of elk in rutting season is something your
children will remember all their lives. It recalls nothing so much as a child
blasting on a trombone for the first time, or severely over-blowing a flute. In
fact, my 12-year old son, Kaelan once enjoyed trading calls with some anonymous
bull using only a small flute—though certainly to the frustration of the animal.
Fortunately, being rutting season, the animal bull elk was much too focused to
be bothered by our little experiment.
One fall, after camping here for two nights, I declined a
third night of camping for the simple reason that I needed some uninterrupted
sleep. Honestly, it can be that loud!
One additional treat needs to be mentioned, just in case
you are lucky enough to experience it. On Sierra Blanca there are several herds
of wild horses. On several occasions, I have been awaken in the night by the
snorting of horses, only to find the herd grazing just yards beyond me in the
meadow. All of the animals are small in stature and of identical coloring and
markings. Camping on the ground, I have found myself aware their presence as
they sauntered just past where I’m lying to graze on the other side of the
valley, only to disappear into the trees as the sun rises.
These are memories that stay with you.
There is much to enjoy in the Ruidoso area—golf, skiing,
gambling, and dining. But for me, the true adventures lie high in the
surrounding hills, falling asleep to the sounds of animals foraging (or
cavorting) in the forest just beyond my campsite, but still within sight and
hearing.
Caution: Did I mention bears? Though I have never seen bear
in this campground, there certainly are bear throughout this area. With this in
mind, all food should be stored in the vehicle at night, and all garbage
disposed of in the receptacle located by the toilets. Keep small children within
sight at all times, and discourage any attempts to approach or feed wild
animals, particular those of a size that can do you damage—bear, horses, elk,
deer, etc.
As in most remote site, there are few amenities. No food,
no phone, no water in the bathrooms, and no wheelchair access to toilets. Think
of this as rustic camping, and you’ll do fine.
Forest Service Contact Information
Smokey Bear
901 Mechem Dr.
Ruidoso, New Mexico 88345
505-257-4095 |
