Why visit Capitan
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 1 place to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Smokey Bear Museum and Smokey Bear Historical Park.
June is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 24°F, and about 27 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Capitan
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Capitan
Capitan is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, located north of the Lincoln National Forest between the Capitan and Sacramento Mountains at an elevation of 6,350 feet (1,950 m). As of the 2020 census, Capitan had a population of 1,391. Capitan was founded in the 1890s and incorporated in 1941.
From the Wikipedia article Capitan, New Mexico (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes1
Smokey Bear Restaurant
Restaurant · 1.3 mi
310 West Smokey Bear Boulevard, Capitan
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship6
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Map of Capitan
16 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51°F | 24°F | 0.7 in | 6.1 in |
| Feb | 55°F | 26°F | 0.5 in | 3.6 in |
| Mar | 62°F | 30°F | 0.6 in | 5.3 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 36°F | 0.4 in | 1.1 in |
| May | 77°F | 44°F | 1.0 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 51°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 55°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 54°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 48°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 38°F | 1.1 in | 1.0 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 30°F | 1.1 in | 1.4 in |
| Dec | 50°F | 24°F | 0.9 in | 8.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Capitan (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Lincoln County has had 29 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2025-07-22: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2025-07-10: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2024-06-20: South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, And Flooding (Fire)
- 2024-06-18: Salt Fire (Fire)
- 2024-06-17: South Fork Fire (Fire)
- 2024-05-26: Blue 2 Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sierra Blanca Regional Airport (RUI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Ruidoso 14 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Ruidoso Downs 14 mi south, about 23 min by car
- Carrizozo 16 mi northwest, about 25 min by car
- Mescalero 30 mi southwest, about 49 min by car
- Tularosa 40 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Cloudcroft 41 mi south, about 1 h by car
- High Rolls 43 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- La Luz 44 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Alamogordo 50 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Boles Acres 54 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- BTKTrail thru CapitanNM, Unknown author, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.