Smokey Bear’s story is part of several places to visit in Capitan: the Smokey Bear Historical Park is home to his gravesite and exhibits; Smokey’s Museum is just to the east. The town’s railroad history also has a place in the park.
Smokey Bear and Wildfire Topics
The Smokey Bear Historical Park was established in 1976 to honor Smokey Bear. Smokey Bear was found after a human-caused wildfire burned 17,000 acres in the Capitan Mountains near Capitan, New Mexico. The story of the character thus also leads into the mountain region around the town.
Exhibits in the visitor center cover forest health, wildfires, fire ecology and wildfire prevention. A short film in the theater shows how forest health and fire affect life today. Other exhibits focus on New Mexico’s vegetation zones; the park also includes an interpretive garden of more than three acres. The state’s forests and how people manage fire are both central themes here.
Junior Ranger and Little Ranger programs offer activities about wildfire prevention and Smokey Bear. The Wildland Fallen Firefighter Memorial is a place of remembrance honoring more than 30 New Mexico firefighters who died fighting wildfires. The park’s themes range from ecology and prevention to honoring those who serve.
Museum and Railroad History
Smokey’s Museum is on Smokey Bear Boulevard, just east of the Smokey Bear Historical Park. It was dedicated in 1958 and opened in 1961. The rustic, single-room museum was built entirely by local volunteers. Memorabilia, photos and posters tell the story of Smokey Bear’s life.
Another historic landmark is the Capitan Train Depot. The El Paso and Northeastern Railroad built it around 1899 in Coalora, New Mexico. In 1911, it was moved to its current location and used as a freight and passenger station. The original Capitan depot is in the Smokey Bear Historical Park. Visitors interested in the town’s development can learn about its former railroad connection here, alongside Smokey Bear’s story.
Annual Events
A two-day event in 2026 at the Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan celebrated the birthday of the wildfire prevention icon and the park’s 50th anniversary. The annual Smokey Bear Independence Day Parade in Capitan features military vehicles, classic and custom cars, horse-drawn wagons and fire trucks. Pets, cowboys on horseback, rodeo queens and Smokey Bear also take part in the parade. If you’re planning your stay around an event, check the specific dates before your trip.
Trails and Activities in the Region
The wider region offers opportunities in the Capitan Mountains for dispersed camping, hiking, and horseback riding and pack-animal trails. Nearby, the Fort Stanton National Conservation Area offers 93 miles of sustainable trails for horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking through open meadows and canyons. Trail distances and facilities can change, so check the latest information before your visit.
The Billy the Kid Trail can also be reached via US-380 in Capitan. These options offer different starting points for planning: Smokey Bear’s story, the town’s railroad past, event dates or activities in the wider region. You can choose the focus of your stay based on which of these topics you’d like to explore further.
Discover more destinations: Alto, Ruidoso, Carrizozo, Nogal, Ruidoso Downs
For the overview of the wider travel region: Lincoln.
