Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area - BLM

Fort Stanton operates in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which oversees thousands of acres surrounding Fort Stanton.

The 25,080-acre Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (NCA),established by Congress in 2009, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The NCA offers a variety of recreational activities including 100 miles of multi-use trails for horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking.

*The Fort Stanton Cave is currently closed to recreational caving to protect the vulnerable bat population from White Nose Syndrome. There is a display about Fort Stanton Cave located in the museum at the Fort Stanton Historic Site.

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

Within the NCA is Fort Stanton Cave, at over 40.15 miles, it is the second longest cave in New Mexico, the 10th longest cave in the U.S., the 48th longest in the world, and the largest cave managed by the BLM. Snowy River is a significant passage within Fort Stanton Cave, and is the longest cave formation in the world. Today, approximately 21 miles of previously unknown passage have been mapped, without reaching the end.

There are 20 miles of dirt roads designated open to off-highway vehicle use and two formal camping areas:

  1. The Rob Jaggers Campground (formerly the Equestrian Trailhead Campground) has a large parking area with facilities for horseback staging, five RV electric hookups, shelters, bbq grills, a restroom, and drinking water. 575-627-0272

  2. The Cave Campground has shelters, bbq grills, and a restroom but no drinking water. Fort Stanton Cave is not open to the public.

WHAT’S NEW(S)…

Featured
Six Additional Miles of Newly Explored, Mapped, and Surveyed Passages at Fort Stanton Cave
Six Additional Miles of Newly Explored, Mapped, and Surveyed Passages at Fort Stanton Cave

Fort Stanton Cave continues to amaze and surprise cave explorers. October 2019 ended with an additional six miles of newly explored, mapped, and surveyed passages at Fort Stanton Cave. More than 59 volunteers helped during the 10-day project. Scientists with the FSCSP are going through the data and well over 1,000 photos.

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IF YOU GO DETAILS:

PHONE

575-627-0272

575-354-0099

ADDRESS

Roswell Field Office 
2909 West Second Street
Roswell, NM 88201

LATITUDE/LONGITUDE 33.49117111 / -105.5181531

DIRECTIONS

From the intersection of NM 246 and US 380 in Capitan, NM, drive east on US 380 for 4.3 miles to NM 220, which will be on the right. From the west end of Lincoln, NM, drive west 7.75 miles to NM 220, which will be on the left. Drive south 0.9 for miles to the Rob Jaggers Campground, where maps and an information kiosk are available. Historic Fort Stanton is approximately 1.5 miles further south on NM 220. On the grounds of Fort Stanton, the State of New Mexico operates a museum with information about the Fort and the Fort Stanton - Snowy River Cave NCA.