U.S. Forest Service
Water Canyon Picnic Area
Photo · Christopher NicholsNot publishedStatus
ReservableAccess
1Sites
The place
At the base of the Water Canyon Recreation Area sits a picnic ground nestled in the Magdalena Mountains. Four first come first served picnic sites have tables and grills that can be walked to from the shared parking area with a vault toilet. In addition, there is one group picnic shelter that is available for reservation. The group picnic shelter includes six picnic tables, one serving table, and one large pedestal grill. Recreation Facilities Vault toilets, a shared gravel parking area, four walk-to picnic areas, one large group picnic shelter, trash receptacles, and informational kiosks are available on site. Keep reading
Natural Features Mountain views. Access to trails. Shaded areas. Nearby Attractions Mesa Trail #013 is one of the first trails located up the road beyond the picnic area. In addition, Water Canyon Campground sits uphill of the picnic area by following the gravel road into the Water Canyon Recreation Area. Campsites and trails await here as well.
SRC · Recreation.gov RIDB full extract · 2026-08-23
The sites · 1
| Loop | Site | Type | Max rig | Electric | ADA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picnic | Group Picnic | group picnic area | — | — |
SRC · Recreation.gov RIDB full extract · 2026-08-23
Booking
183 daysBooking window before arrival
Recreation.gov default: most campsites can be booked six months prior to arrival date. Most campgrounds go on sale at 7am PT / 8am MT / 10am ET, but not always; check the facility Seasons and Fees tab. Some locations also offer shorter supplemental booking windows.
Book on recreation.govSRC · Rules verified against recreation.gov · 2026-08-24