Bosque del Apache Wilderness

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Bosque del Apache Wilderness
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (10440965175).jpg
Cottonwood tree along the Rio Grande
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LocationSocorro County, New Mexico, United States
Nearest city Socorro
Coordinates 33°48′57.8″N106°53′13.5″W / 33.816056°N 106.887083°W / 33.816056; -106.887083 Coordinates: 33°48′57.8″N106°53′13.5″W / 33.816056°N 106.887083°W / 33.816056; -106.887083
Area30,427 acres (123.13 km2)
Established1975
Governing body United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Bosque del Apache Wilderness is a designated Wilderness Area on the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in Socorro County, New Mexico. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wilderness, established in 1975, contains 30,427 acres distributed between three units.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is located in southern New Mexico. It was founded in 1939 and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is a favorite spot to watch the migration of the Sandhill cranes in the fall. The reserve is open year-round and provides safe harbor for its varied wildlife.

Contents

The refuge

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1939 to protect a crucial stopover for migrating waterfowl, such as sandhill cranes and geese. Located in Socorro County, the refuge lies between the Chupadera Mountains to the west and the San Pascual Mountains to the east and contains 57,331 acres of land along both banks of the Rio Grande. [1]

Rio Grande River forming part of the US-Mexico border

The Rio Grande is one of the principal rivers in the southwest United States and northern Mexico. The Rio Grande begins in south-central Colorado in the United States and flows to the Gulf of Mexico. After passing through the length of New Mexico along the way, it forms part of the Mexico–United States border. According to the International Boundary and Water Commission, its total length was 1,896 miles (3,051 km) in the late 1980s, though course shifts occasionally result in length changes. Depending on how it is measured, the Rio Grande is either the fourth- or fifth-longest river system in North America.

Bosque del Apache at night Bosque del Apache at night.jpg
Bosque del Apache at night

During the migratory season the refuge can be visited by 12,000 sandhill cranes, 70,000 snow geese, over 40,000 ducks from 14 different species, and over 300 other varieties of bird. Though a prime site for birding, the Refuge also contains a number of muledeer, coyotes, and wild javelina, among other species. [2]

The wilderness

Established in 1975, the Bosque del Apapche Wilderness is composed of three smaller units, the Little San Pascual Wilderness, which covers 19,859 acres, the 5,429-acre Chupadera Wilderness, and the 5,139-acre Indian Well Unit. The Indian Wells and Chupadera units are located on opposite sides of U.S. I-25, approximately 16 miles south of Socorro, while the Little San Pacual unit is east of Indian Wells on the eastern bank of the Rio Grande. [2]

Socorro, New Mexico City in New Mexico, United States

Socorro is a city in Socorro County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is in the Rio Grande Valley at an elevation of 4,579 feet (1,396 m). In 2010 the population was 9,051. It is the county seat of Socorro County. Socorro is located 74 miles (119 km) south of Albuquerque and 146 miles (235 km) north of Las Cruces.

Chupadera National Recreation Trail Chupadera Trail (7652116424).jpg
Chupadera National Recreation Trail

A designated Wilderness, as described by the Wilderness Act of 1964, motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses are prohibited in the three units. A day-use area, there is no overnight camping, but hikers can access the area year-round between one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. While off-trail hiking is allowed, there are two developed trails, the Chupadera Wilderness National Recreation Trail in the Chupadera Wilderness, and the Canyon National Recreation Trail in the Indian Well Wilderness. The 9.2 mile Chupadera Trail is a moderately strenuous trail that begins on the floor of the Chihuahuan Desert and climbs over 1800 feet to the top of Chupadera Mountain. Part of this trail includes a one mile loop trail that leads to a scenic overlook in the foothills above the refuge. The Canyon Trail, a 2.2 mile trail in the Indian Well Wilderness leads across the desert floor to Solitude Canyon and offers a number of scenic vistas. [3]

Chihuahuan Desert desert

The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert and ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of West Texas, parts of the middle and lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower Pecos Valley in New Mexico, and a portion of southeastern Arizona, as well as the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau. It is bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, along with northwestern lowlands of the Sierra Madre Oriental range. On the Mexican side, it covers a large portion of the state of Chihuahua, along with portions of Coahuila, north-eastern Durango, the extreme northern part of Zacatecas, and small western portions of Nuevo León. With an area of about 362,000 km2 (139,769 sq mi), it is the second largest desert of the Americas and the largest in North America.

See also

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References

  1. "About the Refuge - Bosque del Apache - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov.
  2. 1 2 "Wilderness.net - Bosque del Apache Wilderness - General Information". Wilderness.net.
  3. "Hiking Trails - Bosque del Apache - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov.