Manzano Mountain Wilderness
Don't let this area deceive you. It looks devoid of scenery from a distance, but is full of surprises as you explore the trails. The same held true in the early 1700s, when explorers visiting a small village on the eastern edge of these mountains discovered very old manzanos (apple trees), a fruit tree not native to this country. The name Manzano was given to the area due to the discovery of the old apple trees. Spread out across the western slope of the Manzano Mountain Range, this Wilderness varies in elevation from about 6,000 feet to 10,098 feet atop Manzano Peak. This is steep and rugged terrain for the most part, cut with canyons and marked with outcroppings of rock.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | New Mexico |
| Size | 36,764 acres |
| Designated | 1978, by Congress |
| Center point | 34.69° N, 106.44° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 17) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
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 3 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 3 trailheads. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miComanche Trailhead ↗Trailhead · Open year round
- 2 miManzano Crest South Trailhead ↗Trailhead · April to November
- 4 miTrail Canyon Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
20 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 79 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Manzano Crest ↗ | 22.1 | |
| Salas ↗ | 7.8 | |
| Comanche Canyon ↗ | 7 | |
| Pine Shadow ↗ | 5 | |
| Ox Canyon | 3.8 | |
| Albuquerque | 3.7 | |
| Spruce Spring | 3.6 | |
| Ojito | 3.4 | |
| Osha | 3.2 | |
| Kayser Mill | 2.5 |
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedCedro Piles Rx
27 mi from the center point · 15 acres
- PrescribedPueblo Colorado Pile Rx
40 mi from the center point · 211 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 9.3 miAbo ↗National Historic Landmark
- 11.3 miMountainair Municipal Auditorium ↗Mountainair, NM
- 11.4 miShaffer Hotel ↗Mountainair, NM
- 11.5 miWillard Mercantile Company ↗Mountainair, NM
- 11.9 miRancho Bonito ↗Mountainair, NM
- 13.8 miBaca, Miguel E., House ↗Adelino, NM
- 14.7 miHarvey, Belen, House ↗Belen, NM
- 14.7 miTome Jail ↗Tome, NM
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 Manzano Mountain Wilderness?
36,764 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Manzano Mountain Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Manzano Mountain Wilderness in?
New Mexico.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Manzano Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1978.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Manzano Mountain 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 Manzano Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.686° N, 106.444° W. Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is 20 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Manzano Mountain Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Cedro Piles Rx at 27 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Manzano Mountain Wilderness?
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument (20 mi) and Petroglyph National Monument (29 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Manzano Mountain Wilderness?
The National Register has 10 listings within 15 miles, including Abo and Mountainair Municipal Auditorium.
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.