Quemado, NM, March 18, 2019— Historically, the Quemado Lake Recreation Area, located on the Gila National Forest, has opened the campgrounds every year on May 1. In order to have the campgrounds ready for visitors, the water system must be started up several weeks ahead of the opening date to comply with State regulations and allow time for routine maintenance.  In the past, when the water system was opened this early in the spring, the district ran the risk of faucets, valves and pipelines associated with the system freezing and bursting, which caused additional delays in opening the campgrounds.

The District Ranger has decided to push back the seasonal opening of the Juniper and Piñon campgrounds to the weekend of Mother’s Day. Those campgrounds will be open the Friday before Mother’s Day, which will be May 10 this year, to allow forest visitors time to find a campsite and enjoy their weekend. The El Caso campgrounds in the Quemado Lake Recreation Area are open year-round for your camping pleasure.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website here.