I started running a half-marathon near Shiprock, NM annually starting in 2010. I quickly realized that as it is over a mile high I needed a bit of acclimatization before the event. My favorite routine for this turned out to be camping at Dog Canyon, on the north side of Guadalupe Mountains National Park at around 6,000′ on my way out there. While I’d never really thought of Dog Canyon as being ‘at altitude’ spending about 4 nights out there turned out to be an effective strategy.

I  had planned on camping in Dog Canyon, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, as usual; however in 2015 the campground and entrance had been closed for months. I needed the altitude for my half-marathon prep so I decided to go almost to Dog Canyon and camp in the Lincoln National Forest, just north of GUMO.

I’d been through the Lincoln National Forest (LNF) many times through the years as the route to Dog Canyon in GMNP requires it. Actually LNF is divided into three large districts; the Guadalupe District is the southernmost and adjoins GMNP along the Texas/New Mexico border. There is a nice scenic overlook on one of the main unpaved roads through LNF and I’d been there and done a little exploring but no hiking and certainly no camping.