Capitan Mountains Wilderness
The birthplace of Smokey the Bear, discovered here as a cub in 1951, is a rugged piece of mountain real estate that straddles something that's unusual in New Mexico: an east-west-running range. Numerous canyons cut into the north side of the rocky range, while rocky outcroppings distinguish the region to the south. The terrain flattens now and then along the main ridge, and then opens out into meadows and groves of aspen. The Wilderness measures 12 miles long and two to six miles wide, with elevations varying from about 5,500 feet near the eastern boundary to 10,083 feet on Capitan Peak (sometimes called El Capitan Mountain).
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | New Mexico |
| Size | 35,091 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 33.60° N, 105.31° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 1 federal campground within ten miles sits inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
9 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 42 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| South Base ↗ | 10.9 | |
| Summit ↗ | 7.8 | |
| North Base ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Pierce Canyon ↗ | 5.3 | |
| Seven Cabins | 3.7 | |
| Pancho Canyon | 3.5 | |
| Capitan Peak | 3 | |
| Copeland Canyon | 1 | |
| Pierce Alternate Trail | 0.8 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 6.1 miDr. Woods Annex ↗National Historic Landmark
- 9 miFort Stanton Administration Building ↗Capitan, NM
- 14.5 mi
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for New Mexico
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Capitan Mountains Wilderness?
35,091 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Capitan Mountains Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Capitan Mountains Wilderness in?
New Mexico.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Capitan Mountains Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Capitan Mountains Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Capitan Mountains Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 33.602° N, 105.311° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Capitan Mountains Wilderness?
The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including Dr. Woods Annex and Fort Stanton Administration Building.
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.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- 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.