Manzano Mountain Wilderness is a designated Wilderness Area within the

Cibola National Forest The Cibola National Forest (pronounced SEE-bo-lah) is a 1,633,783 acre (6,611.7 km2) United States National Forest in New Mexico, USA. The name Cibola is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their pueblos or tribal lands. The name w ...

, located about 50 miles (80 km) south-southeast of

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. It is located in western

Torrance County Torrance County is a county located in the center of the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,383. The county seat is Estancia. The geographic center of New Mexico is located in Torrance County, southwest of ...

and eastern

Valencia County Valencia County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 76,569. The county seat is Los Lunas. Valencia County is included in the Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county was a si ...

. The Wilderness area includes (58 sq. mi) with elevations ranging from to at Manzano Peak.

History

The Manzano Mountain Wilderness area was created in 1978 as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Manzano means "

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

" in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

. The region received the name when early

settlers discovered ancient apple trees growing a few miles east of the present-day wilderness. The apple trees were, according to legend, planted by Spanish missionaries to the

Pueblo Indians The Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, are Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material, and religious practices. Currently 100 pueblos are actively inhabited, among which Taos, San Ildefonso, Acoma, Z ...

in the 17th century. U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, but no roads, buildings, logging, or mining are permitted. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas allow hunting in season. Map of Manzano Mountains

Topography, Flora, and Fauna

Manzano Mountain Wilderness is about 17 miles (28 km) long and 3–5 miles (5–8 km) wide, covering both the eastern and western slopes of the

Manzano Mountains The Manzano Mountains are a small mountain range in the central part of the US State of New Mexico. They are oriented north–south and are 30 miles long. The center of the range lies due east of the town of Belen. The name "Manzano" is Spani ...

which run north-south. The crest of the mountains in the wilderness varies from elevations of to . The Manzano mountains appear low and unimpressive from a distance but up close are rugged, with deep canyons radiating off the crest. The higher elevations of the Manzano wilderness, above about , support an

aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the '' Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (Chin ...

and spruce- fir forest. Below that, at elevations of to feet is a forest dominated by

ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

. At the lowest elevations of the wilderness are

pinyon pine The pinyon or piñon pine group grows in southwestern North America, especially in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The trees yield edible nuts, which are a staple food of Native Americans, and widely eaten as a snack and as an ingredient in Ne ...

- juniper woodlands and grasslands.

Bigtooth maple ''Acer grandidentatum'', commonly called bigtooth maple, is a species of maple native to interior western North America. It occurs in scattered populations from western Montana to central Texas in the United States and south to Coahuila in nort ...

trees are found in several canyons. They put on an impressive show of autumn color in October, especially near Fourth of July campground adjacent to the northern part of the wilderness. Small springs and streams are found in several of the canyons, but water is scarce during dry periods. Animals found in the Manzano are typical of New Mexico:

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whi ...

, elk,

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

pronghorn The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American a ...

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally d ...

, and

mountain lion The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. ...

. The wilderness is an important raptor migration corridor which attracts bird watchers and raptor monitors during migration seasons. Forest fires are frequent in the Manzano mountains. In 2007 and 2008 more than burned in the wilderness and adjacent areas.

Recreation

Sixty-four miles (104 km) of trails are found in the wilderness. The 22 mile (35 km) Crest Trail runs the length of Manzano and is accessed by many shorter trails climbing up canyons from both the east and west side of the mountains. Several trails originating near Fourth of July Campground give access to groves of bigtooth maples. A seven-mile round-trip hike leads to the top of Manzano Peak. The rocky summit has excellent views in all directions.Parent, Laurence ''The Hikers Guide to New Mexico''. Helena, MT: Falcon Press, 1993, pp. 97-106 Near the eastern part of the wilderness is Manzano Mountains State Park and the impressive ruins of Quarai in the

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument The Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is a complex of three Spanish missions located in the U.S. state of New Mexico, near Mountainair. The main park visitor center is in Mountainair. Construction of the missions began in 1622 and was com ...

. Quarai was a Pueblo village and the site of a

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

Mission station A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as ...

and church in the 17th century. Both the State Park and the National Monument have short trails exploring the foothills.

References

{{Authority control Wilderness areas of New Mexico Protected areas of Torrance County, New Mexico Protected areas of Valencia County, New Mexico Cibola National Forest