Santa Fe National Forest issues temporary closures for campground construction and post-fire safety

The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) has issued two temporary closure orders affecting multiple recreation sites, roads and trails on the Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District. The closures are necessary to protect public health and safety during construction projects and ongoing post-fire hazards within the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon burned area. 

Campground and Equestrian Area Closures Through Sept. 30 

Forest Order 03-10-05-26-04 closes three developed recreation sites and an access road while contractors perform vault toilet and water system construction. The following areas are closed to public entry: 

• Field Tract Campground  
• Panchuela Campground  
• Jacks Creek Campground and Equestrian Area  

The order also closes the road north of Cowles at the junction of State Road 63 and Forest Road 555, beginning at the middle gate leading toward the Jacks Creek Campground and Equestrian Area.  

These closures are in effect May 4, 2026, at 8 a.m. through Sept. 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m., unless rescinded.  

Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Burned Area, Road and Trail Closures Through 2027 

Forest Order 03-10-05-26-05 establishes a series of closures due to postfire conditions within the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon burned area. The closures restrict public access to several National Forest System roads, trails, and recreation sites, including: 

Closed Areas 

• Barillas Lookout area, encompassing all NFS lands within the boundary formed by Forest Roads (FR) 83 and 83Y.  

Closed Roads 

• FR 83 between its western and eastern junctions with FR 83Y. 
• FR 263, from the Forest boundary to the Burro Basin Recreation Site (approx. 9 miles). 
• FR 263B, all segments from FR 263 to the Harvey Ranch inholding. 
• FR 263C, from FR 263 to the Calf Canyon private inholding.  

Closed Trail 

• NFS Trail 251 (Skyline Trail) for approximately 13 miles from FR 83 to FR 645.  

Closed Developed Recreation Sites along FR 261 and FR 263 include 

• El Porvenir Campground 
• EV Long Campground 
• Baker Flat Picnic Site 
• Oak Flats Picnic Site 
• Big Pine Picnic Site 
• Burro Basin Trailhead  

These closures are in effect May 4, 2026, at 8 a.m. through Dec. 31, 2027, at 12 a.m., unless rescinded.  

Exemptions include Forest Service permit holders, law enforcement and emergency responders, and landowners accessing private inholdings.  

Maps of the closure areas are available on the website. For more information, contact the Pecos Ranger Station, Las Vegas Ranger District, or the SFNF Supervisor’s Office. 

About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. 

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