Traveling with the Longdogs: Capitan NM

Our last field trip while in Ruidoso was to the Valley of Fires Recreation Area (BLM Land) and Capitan. Valley of Fires NM is sometimes confused with a state park with the same name in Nevada I believe. There is a nice campground here that I stayed in on a trip several years ago. They have water and electric hookups as well as a tenting area. And there are restrooms and showers. It's interesting because you are traveling across flat land when this volcanic rift appears.

You can see the volcanic lava here.

There is a nice walking trail next to the campground but you need to stay on the path because the volcanic rock is very sharp.

Our next stop was the Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan.

Smokey was found clinging to a tree in the midst of a forest fire. He was rescued and turned over to a vet who took care of his burned paws and nursed him back to health. Of course, he didn't really look much his alter ego. He was flown to the Washington D.C. Zoo where he lived until his natural death. He had a female mate but they never had any cubs. There is a movie at the museum along with a lot of memorabilia and things relating to the campaign against forest fires.

There is a nice little park with the museum with different types of landscapes native to New Mexico.

When Smokey passed away, he was flown back to Capitan and secretly buried during the night due to fear of vandalism. A ceremony honoring him was later held here.

This is the Smokey Bear place but also honors fallen firefighters with a memorial.

Kids around the world know who Smokey Bear is.

It's an interesting visit especially for kids. We had lunch at Oso restaurant which was very busy with locals and visitors.

Oops....I think this published before it was written so here goes the update. We visited Capitan, New Mexico which is the birthplace and final resting place of Smokey Bear. Two man-made fires occurred in 1950 on 4 May (the Lost Tablos blaze) and 6 May (the Capitan Gap fire) in the Lincoln National Forest. 17,000 acres of forest were burned, many private properties lost, and severe loss of wildlife and environment occurred.

On 8 May, 1950 a 70 mile per hour wind made it impossible to control the fire and 19 men were trapped in a rockslide while the fire raged around them. They were rescued without loss of life. On 9 May, a fire crew brought a badly singed bear cub into the fire camp. They found the frightened cub clinging tenaciously to the side of a burnt pine tree. He was badly burned on his buttocks and feet and was originally named "Hotfoot" but that was soon changed to Smokey Bear. His burns were treated at the nearby Flatley Ranch and then he was flown by Game Warden Ray Bell to the veterinary hospital in Santa Fe. Bell later kept Smokey in his home where he was a "mite domineering" with the other family pets and was also a ham.

The Forest Service had already in 1944 originated and authorized the use of a poster by artist, Albert Staehle, depicting a bear named Smokey. The campaign became even more popular after the real Smokey was included. Smokey even had his own zip code because he received so much mail. In July 1950 Smokey was presented to the school children of America and he moved into his permanent home at the National Zoo.

In 1956, a Smokey Bear Club, Inc, was formed in Capitan to further conservation efforts. $2,300 was raised and with donated materials and labor, a log cabin museum was constructed. A ranger's wife, Dorothy Guck designed the museum based on the Forest Service's bulletin "How to Construct a Log Cabin". The museum opened in 1960.

New Mexico adopted the black bear as the state animal, and on its golden anniversary in 1962, a female bear named Goldie, also from the Lincoln National Forest, was sent to the Washington Zoo. Goldie and Smokey never had any cubs.