Approximate location — plotted from published sources, not a site visit, and not a guarantee of access.
USFS Cibola National Forest developed campground and picnic area in Lobo Canyon on the north side of Mount Taylor (Tsoodził), a forested high-country natural base for ponderosa day hikes and views of New Mexico’s sacred stratovolcano. A public natural recreation pin in Cibola’s Mount Taylor unit—distinct from the already-mapped Mount Taylor summit, San Rafael, and El Malpais NM 117 front-country stops.
Coal Mine Campground is a developed Cibola National Forest facility on the Mount Taylor Ranger District, about ten miles northeast of Grants on the north side of Mount Taylor (Tsoodził). The summit rises to 11,301 feet and is the high point of northwestern New Mexico; it is a sacred mountain to several Pueblo nations and to the Navajo. The campground itself sits at about 7,400 feet among piñon, juniper, Gambel oak, and mature ponderosa on a gently sloping hilltop below the summit road. Recreation.gov describes more than a dozen sites for tents or RVs, each with a table and fire ring with grill, paved parking spurs, and accessible vault toilets. There are no utility hookups and no drinking water. Bring all water, or plan to refill in Grants.
The name refers to historic coal workings in the district. There is no active mine here to tour. A short nature trail (about a quarter mile) leaves the loop; entrance to the trail is by a historic bridge built by the Job Corps in 1967–1968. The Lobo Canyon Trail network starts in or near the campground and connects into a wider web of paths; some segments have been under construction, so conditions change. Continuing past the campground on State Highway 547 (also Forest Road 239 in Forest Service materials) can open views toward Mount Taylor’s peak when weather and road surface allow. The Forest Service notes that off-pavement travel past the main highway requires attention to road condition and vehicle capability.
How you get there and when it runs
From Grants, take New Mexico Highway 547 (Lobo Canyon Road) roughly ten miles north. The Mount Taylor Ranger District office is at 1800 Lobo Canyon Road; from that office the campground entrance is about ten miles farther on the right. The highway is paved and suitable for ordinary passenger cars in dry weather. Elevation, shade, and monsoons still matter: summer storms can dump hard rain on short notice, and early or late season can bring cold nights.
The listed season is May 1 through October 15. There is a 14-day stay limit. Trailers are limited to less than 22 feet. Overnight camping is a fee site (Forest Service lists a per-site overnight fee structure); day use for picnic and parking is a separate per-vehicle day-use fee. The New Mexico Enchantment Pass and federal interagency (America the Beautiful) passes may cover day-use fees at this site — check current posting at the fee station and the Mt. Taylor district page. All campsites can be reserved ahead on Recreation.gov; walk-up space depends on occupancy and season.
Trip planning around Mount Taylor and El Malpais
Coal Mine is a developed forest campground — a quiet base for day hikes in Lobo Canyon, fall color in the oaks and aspens higher on the mountain, and easy access to lower-elevation volcanic country. Summit routes start from other trailheads. El Malpais National Monument and El Malpais National Conservation Area lie a short drive south of Grants: Sandstone Bluffs Overlook, La Ventana Natural Arch, and segments of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and Zuni–Acoma Trail are standard day destinations. The Continental Divide trailhead off Lobo Canyon Road accesses a long stretch of CDT on the Mt. Taylor district. Grants itself is about twelve miles from the campground and has lodging, fuel, groceries, and the mining museum if weather keeps you in town.
Expect no water on site, no hookups, the short trailer limit, and summer heat that can still push hard at 7,400 feet in full sun. Night temperatures drop quickly once the monsoon air clears. Pack out trash when dumpsters are full or closed, and buy firewood locally rather than hauling it from home — the standard Forest Service pest-spread rule applies. This is the developed overnight and picnic node on the Lobo Canyon approach from Grants, separate from the Mount Taylor summit trailheads, San Rafael, and the NM-117 front-country stops along El Malpais.