For a fun weekend in a picturesque town, check out Capitan, New Mexico. With little cafes, restaurants, museums, and gift shops nestled in a beautiful mountain range, whether you want to spend the day in the RV, camping, shopping, or in a museum, you can have it in Capitan, a gorgeous New Mexico mountain town! Let’s explore one of the most beautiful towns in New Mexico.

The village of Capitan is located in a gap towards the southwest of the Capitan Mountains.
Patrick Alexander/Flickr
North of Lincoln National Forest, the Mountain Range is about 20 miles long from east to west and about six miles wide. The tallest peak is more than 10,000 feet.
The village is small and quaint, but bursting with personality with a population of 1,480. It is located on US Route 380 in the “Texas corner” of the state.
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The village was founded in the 1890s and incorporated in 1941. The town is the home to the Billy the Kid Trail, where the outlaw ran from the law and was discovered, leading to a shootout between old West bandits and sheriffs! 
Capitan Gap has dispersed camping and some great rock climbing.
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The town has also had a fascinating connection to wildland firefighting history. It is literally the birthplace of Smokey the Bear!

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In the village of Capitan is the Smokey the Bear Historical Park. With two museums and a gift shop, this park is dedicated to educating the public to prevent forest fires.
Walter Bibikow/Digital Vision via Getty Images
In the summer of 1950, a man-made fire started in Capitan Gap and was flamed by 70-mile-an-hour winds. 
After being trapped by a rockslide, more than 19 firefighters were rescued from the fire.
Corsair1944/Wikipedia
Also rescued from the same fire was a bear cub named Smokey, after the mascot the Forest Service and Advertising Council had been using for a few years to promote fire safety. You can learn more at this awesome museum that’s fun for the whole family!
If dispersed camping is a little too much for you, down the road from the museum is a Smokey the Bear Campground & RV Park, as well as a Smokey Bear Motel.
Smokeybearcampground
There’s also a Smokey Country Market and Smokey Restaurant. 
Additionally, Capitan Village has a great local restaurant called Oso Grill.
Oso Grill/Gifts/Facebook
With a small menu that packs a punch, folks rave about the catfish! 

Full of cute houses and little shops with rustic charm, you’ll have a relaxing vacation in a seriously underrated town. Have you visited Capitan, New Mexico? Let us know about your experiences in the comments. If you like places like this, check out these other New Mexico mountain towns. 

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More to Explore

Charming Towns in New Mexico

William Suphan | April 26, 2023

What are the most charming small towns in New Mexico?

The most charming small towns in New Mexico include:

  • Pie Town. This town is aptly named and the Pie-O-Neer Homestead makes some of the best pies you’ll ever have. 
  • Madrid. This is an artsy town and locals from all over the state flock here for its Christmas event.
  • Mosquero. This is the smallest town in the state and is a cattle ranching town with a quaint Old West style downtown.
  • Pecos. This is a historic town with a Spanish mission and Pueblo mission as well as a vast, open vista that is stunning.

Learn more about the most charming small towns in New Mexico. 

What are the best Wild West towns in New Mexico?

The best Wild West towns in New Mexico include:

  • Mesilla. This is where Billy the Kid was sentenced to death and in 1871, a bipartisan political rally devolved into a fight that took nine lives.
  • Cimarron. This was the location of the Colfax County War of 1875 between supporters of a Methodist Pastor and enforcers of the Maxwell Land Grant.
  • Lincoln. This was the place where the Lincoln County War took place which included Billy the Kid.
  • Shakespeare. The first residents were lured here by a con that Lee’s Peak was full of diamonds.

Find out more about the best Wild West towns in New Mexico. 

What are the most peaceful towns in New Mexico?

The most peaceful towns in New Mexico include:

  • Magdalena. With only 938 people, this old mining town has been transforming into an art town on the San Agustin Plains.
  • Glenwood. This tiny town has a population of 143 and is a wonderful dark spot for stargazing and has wonderful hot springs.
  • Cuba. This town of 731 people has a couple of amazing restaurants and is surrounded by badlands and beautiful rock formations.
  • Radium Springs. This serene town is home to the Leasburg Dam State Park with its own observatory and cactus garden.

Discover more about the most peaceful towns in New Mexico. 

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118 Smokey Bear Blvd, Capitan, NM 88316, USA