Ojito Wilderness | |
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Location | Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States |
Nearest city | Bernalillo |
Coordinates | 35°31′47.8″N106°53′57.6″W / 35.529944°N 106.899333°W Coordinates: 35°31′47.8″N106°53′57.6″W / 35.529944°N 106.899333°W |
Area | 11,823 acres (47.85 km2) |
Established | 2005 |
Governing body | United States Bureau of Land Management |
Website | Ojito Wilderness |
Ojito Wilderness is a designated Wilderness Area in Sandoval County, New Mexico, administered by the U. S. Bureau of Land Management. Established in 2005, the 11,823 acre primitive area protects a rugged and austere landscape north of Albuquerque, and is open to primitive camping, hiking, and horseback riding.
Contiguous to the southern end of the Pueblo of Zia, the Wilderness Area was established in 2005 by Public Law 109-94, known as the “Ojito Wilderness Act,” which both created the protected area, and also took lands within the designated area into trust for the Pueblo of Zia Indian Reservation. While the Reservation would pay for both the appraisal of the land and the land itself, the territory in question would be held in trust by the Federal government, to ensure, in the words of the law, the ability of the public to “access the lands for recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, paleontological, and conservation uses.” [1]
Despite its somewhat imposing and desolate appearance, the lands within Ojito Wilderness show evidence of habitation going back millions of years. Many types of fossils are found in the Jurassic-era Morrison Formation sandstone of the area, as well as large sections of petrified trees and one of the largest dinosaur skeletons ever discovered, the Seismosaurus. Evidence of human activity in the area include ruins and artifacts from prehistoric Ancient Puebloans, Spanish, and Navajo, testifying to the ability of these peoples to survive in the hot, waterless environment. [2] Physically, the area is a dry, austere environment of multi-colored sandstone, terraces, box canyons and arroyos. Small amounts of piñon and juniper can be found in the Wilderness, as well as a unique stand of ponderosa pine, the lowest elevation in New Mexico where these trees can be found. [3]
The Ojito Wilderness is located in Sandoval County, north of Bernalillo and can be accessed via U. S. 550 and County Road 906, an unimproved road also known as the Cabezon Road. There are two marked trailheads in the area, the Seismosaurus Trailhead, and the Hoodoo Trailhead, both of which can be accessed by County Road 906. Hiking, Backpacking, horseback riding and primitive camping are allowed in the Wilderness without a permit, though the BLM is quite insistent on reminding visitors to bring in all water required. [4]
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located approximately 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, near Cochiti Pueblo. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), it was established as a U.S. National Monument by President Bill Clinton in January 2001. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the Pueblo language Keresan. The monument is a unit of the BLM's National Conservation Lands.
Kisatchie National Forest, the only National forest in Louisiana, United States, is located in the forested piney hills and hardwood bottoms of seven central and northern parishes. It is part of the Cenozoic uplands and has large areas of longleaf pine forests. It is one of the largest pieces of natural landscape in Louisiana, with some 604,000 acres (2,440 km2) of public land, more than half of which is vital longleaf pine and flatwoods vegetation. These support many rare plant and animal species. There are also rare habitats, such as hillside seepage bogs and calcareous prairies. The forest also contains and provides a buffer for the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness, a nationally designated wilderness area that contributes to protecting biodiversity of the coastal plain region of the United States.
Buckskin Gulch is a gulch and canyon located within southern Kane County, Utah, United States.
The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in Arizona, US, near its northern border with Utah. The formation is situated on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness of the Colorado Plateau. The area is administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) at the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument visitor center in Kanab, Utah.
Wire Pass Trailhead is a recreation access point in Kane County, Utah that features several trails leading to natural points of interest.
Lincoln National Forest is a unit of the U.S. Forest Service located in southern New Mexico. Established by Presidential Proclamation in 1902 as the Lincoln Forest Reserve, the 1,103,897 acres (4,467.31 km2) forest begins near the Texas border and contains lands in parts of Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, and Otero counties. The three Ranger Districts within the forest contain all or part of four mountain ranges, and include a variety of different environmental areas, from desert to heavily forested mountains and sub-alpine grasslands. Established to balance conservation, resource management, and recreation, the lands of the Lincoln National Forest include important local timber resources, protected wilderness areas, and popular recreation and winter sports areas. The forest headquarters is located in Alamogordo, N.M. with local offices in Carlsbad, Cloudcroft, and Ruidoso.
The Sam Houston National Forest, one of four National Forests in Texas, is located 50 miles north of Houston. The forest is administered together with the other three United States National Forests and two National Grasslands located entirely in Texas, from common offices in Lufkin, Texas. The units include Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine, and Sam Houston National Forests, plus Caddo National Grassland and Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland. There are local ranger district offices located in New Waverly. It is located in portions of three Texas counties including Montgomery, San Jacinto, and Walker.
The Sacatar Trail Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Ridgecrest, California USA. It was created in 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act - Public Law 103-433 - and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The wilderness is 51,900 acres (210 km2) in size and protects portions of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.
The Rio Grande Trail is a proposed long distance trail along the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The river extends over 1,800 total miles, some 700 miles (1,100 km) of which pass through the heart of New Mexico. It is the state's primary drainage feature and most valuable natural and cultural resource. The river and its bosque provide a wide variety of recreation, including hunting and fishing, birdwatching, river rafting, hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The river also flows through or beside numerous spectacular and geologically interesting landforms, the result of extensive volcanism and erosion of the valley within the Rio Grande Rift. Although some trail advocates would like to see the trail extended the full distance through New Mexico, from the Colorado border to the United States–Mexico border, the portion proposed for initial development extends 300 miles (480 km), from Bernalillo south to Las Cruces.
The Dinkey Lakes Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Fresno, in the state of California, United States. It comprises 30,000 acres (12,141 ha) within the Sierra National Forest and was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System by the California Wilderness Act of 1984. Elevations range from 8,200 feet (2,500 m) to 10,619 feet (3,237 m). Recreational activities in the wilderness include day hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, fishing, rock climbing and cross-country skiing.
The Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Yolla Bolly Range of the southern Klamath Mountains and the Inner Northern California Coast Ranges, in Northern California.
The Chimney Peak Wilderness is a 13,134-acre (53.15 km2) wilderness area located 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Ridgecrest, in southeastern Tulare County, California.
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The Oregon Badlands Wilderness is a 29,301-acre (11,858 ha) wilderness area located east of Bend in Deschutes and Crook counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The wilderness is managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System and was created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on 30 March 2009.
The White Mountain Wilderness is a 46,963 acre designated wilderness area managed by the United States Forest Service. Located in the Smokey Bear Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest, the White Mountain Wilderness lies in the Sierra Blanca mountains of south central New Mexico, approximately 15 miles (24 km) north northwest of the town of Ruidoso.
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The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is an approximately 242,555-acre (98,159 ha) area of public lands in Taos County, New Mexico, proclaimed as a national monument on March 25, 2013, by President Barack Obama under the provisions of the Antiquities Act. It consists of the Rio Grande Gorge and surrounding lands, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Gold Butte National Monument is a United States national monument located in Clark County, Nevada, northeast of Las Vegas and south of Mesquite and Bunkerville. The monument protects nearly 300,000 acres of desert landscapes featuring a wide array of natural and cultural resources, including rock art, sandstone towers, and important wildlife habitat for species including the Mojave Desert tortoise, bighorn sheep, and mountain lion. The area also protects historic ranching and mining sites such as the ghost town of Gold Butte, although little but mine openings, cement foundations, and a few pieces of rusting equipment remains. The monument is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
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