This lookout, a 30 foot high steel tower with a wooden cab 14 feet square, is an Aermotor MI-25 type. This type of lookout is unusual and rare in the Southwestern Region, with only one other known, located on the Gila National Forest. Ruidoso Lookout was erected in 1940 and is on the Smoky Bear Ranger District. Access to the tower site is by foot traffic only with access to the tower itself being closed to the public.
Ruidoso Lookout is primarily first-come, first-served. Use the availability view to gauge how busy it is before you go.
See the map for Ruidoso Lookout's exact location and directions.
Pick your dates on the availability calendar, then reserve through the official booking link. You can also set an alert and we'll notify you if a sold-out date opens up.