Paula - I found this campground on the Internet, and I tent camped there in July 2005.
Campground Review
We live in Texas and decided to head for the hills to escape the July heat. We chose Cloudcroft, New Mexico as our destination. It's a 10 hour drive and worth every mile of desert it took to get there. The weather from the 12th-17th of July never got above 80, and it cooled down to the lower 50s most nights. It was perfect. Cloudcroft itself is very touristy and has the prices to prove it, but the camping could not have been any nicer. Apache is one of several campgrounds in a little group of three, and then several more down the road. We chose Apache over one of the others (such as Saddle or Silver) as it is the last one on the road, thus we figured less traffic. Although all the campgrounds were beautiful, we were right. It was so peaceful and relaxing until the generators fired up. Luckily the RV's are only allowed to run their generators three times a day during certain time periods, and never at night, so it's easy enough to hike off during the noisy hours.The campsites are spacious, very clean, and fairly secluded (especially #14, my personal favorite spot). There are two vault toilets, which are kept very clean. Running water is scarce, but that is due to a drought the area has been suffering from over the past ten years. There is a faucet at the front of the campground as well as a drinking fountain. There is a little nature trail that surrounds the campground, and it is perfect for people of all ages to wander and explore. The wild flowers and wild animals were just awesome. There were no bears, just squirrels, although I understand this isn't always the case. There is also a pay shower at the front of the three camps. Best $3 I ever spent. There is a sign that says "10 minute hot showers, $3.00" but they won't hold you to that 10 minutes. They put that sign up to discourage children from just playing in the water for hours.
The area scenery is just phenomenal. We took several short hikes through the beautiful Sacramento Mountains, and we were awestruck at the serene beauty of it all. The camp host was grade A, checking on each campsite after a short thunderstorm, and then later warning us of another one on it's way. I would highly recommend this area and especially this campground for all families whether tent campers or hard core RVers. It's a very welcoming place. While you are there might I suggest you stop in at the Cloudcroft ranger station. They have lots of information on the local area and several free maps for little hikes through the hills as well as ones you can purchase of the entire forest.
