Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary
This is how it should work.
- Right now
- OpenThe agency lists it open
- A night
- FreeNo camping fee
- Season
- Year-roundOpen year-round
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there
In the agency’s own words
Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary (CCIDSS) is the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary located on National Forest System lands and also in North America. It is also one of only 14 certified IDA Sanctuaries in the world. International Dark Sky Sanctuaries are lands possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights. For more information on dark skies, light pollution, or the International Dark Sky Association . The CCIDSS offers a 360-degree, unobstructed view of the night sky for exceptional stargazing opportunities. Keep reading
This site is situated where there nearest significant source of artificial light is more than 40 miles away, and across the state line in Arizona. Night vision is necessary to enjoy the night sky. If you look at white light from either your flashlight or your cell phone you will not be able to enjoy the wonders of the natural night sky for 20-30 minutes. In order to respect your fellow star gazers the Forest Service recommends: No parking on the observation/telescope pads No camp fires on observation pads Use a red filter over your flashlight lens Try to arrive before dark so that your headlights won't distort your night vision Quiet times (no generator use) between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. CCIDSS is a primitive campground with minimal site amenities including an information kiosk, a pit toilet, and four concrete telescope/observation pads. Currently, there is very minimal shade available however, future planning developments intend to erect a shade pavilion as well as improve individual campsite amenities as funding comes available.
Facilities
- Toilets
- Pit Toilets
- “…including an information kiosk, a pit toilet, and four concrete telescope/observation pads.…”
Nothing to book, just show up
One of 1,623 federal campgrounds where the site still goes to whoever pulls in first, and it costs nothing at all. Get there before noon on a summer weekend.
recreation.gov publishes no availability for a campground you can’t reserve, so there’s no thirty-night reading to draw here. The season bar above is what the agency does publish.
Every line of the receipt · 4
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s own record says there’s no camping fee, and no booking fee, because this campground takes no reservations. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
How we know this receipt · 5
record Aug 24, 2026 · How we know all this
Getting there
the map and the coordinate
Where it is
Pueblo Park CampgroundApache National Forest · 8.1 miCottonwood CampgroundApache National Forest · 9.7 mi
Bighorn CampgroundGila National Forest · 11 miBlue Crossing CampgroundApache National Forest · 14 miUpper Blue CampgroundApache National Forest · 17 miSouth Fork CampgroundGila National Forest · 20 miThe weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Alma, NM
Typical weather
Typical October night 39°F, day 76°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 23°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Junes are colder than the June line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
Roadless country, and what’s coming for it
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary is in New Mexico’s 2nd congressional district. Its representative, Gabe Vasquez (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A. See every public-lands vote →