Aden Lava Flow Wilderness
The Aden Lava Flow Wilderness is located 20 miles southwest of Las Cruces in the Chihuahuan Desert. The area is characterized by basalt flows, volcanic craters, and coppice sand dunes. The lava flow includes pressure ridges, lava tubes, and steep-walled depressions of up to 100 feet wide. Grass and shrubs grow on the flow with many cacti and yucca. Vegetation consists of grasslands and desert shrubs such as mesquite and creosote. Vent tubes, and the many crevices found in the lava, provide cover and den sites for wildlife. Melanistic (dark) forms of mammals and reptiles occur on the black lava flows, including the rock pocket mouse and black-tailed rattlesnake.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | New Mexico |
| Size | 27,673 acres |
| Designated | 2019, by Congress |
| Center point | 32.05° N, 106.99° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 29) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Where to camp
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 12.8 miSan Jose Church ↗La Mesa, NM
- 12.9 miJones, Frank and Amelia, House ↗La Mesa, NM
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for New Mexico
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Aden Lava Flow Wilderness?
27,673 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Aden Lava Flow Wilderness?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Aden Lava Flow Wilderness in?
New Mexico.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Aden Lava Flow Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2019.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Aden Lava Flow Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 32.046° N, 106.992° W. Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail is 17 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Aden Lava Flow Wilderness?
Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail (17 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Aden Lava Flow Wilderness?
The National Register has 2 listings within 15 miles, including San Jose Church and Jones, Frank and Amelia, House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.