Page 21 - 2019 Las Vegas & San Miguel Co. Visitors Guide

PECOS WILDERNESS 223,000 Acres of Pristine Wilderness
Photo courtesy Miguel Serna
The United States Congress designated the Pecos Wilderness in 1964 and it now has a total of 223,000 acres. All of this wilderness is located in New Mexico and is managed by the Forest Service.
Deep and narrow canyons, long and broad mesa tops, heavily forested slopes, and rugged ridges with peaks above timberline characterize the San- gre de Cristo Mountains of the Pecos Wilderness. This small mountain chain comprises the extreme southern extent of the Rocky Mountains, North America’s longest mountain chain, which extends north all the way into Canada. On the western side steep canyons drain toward the Rio Grande. In contrast, to the east lies the relatively gentle upper
wildflower meadows best caught in July and Au- gust. Engelmann spruce, corkbark fir, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, white fir, limber pine, bristlecone pine, and aspen are the predominant timber spe- cies. Equally diverse is the wildlife, including elk, deer, bear, turkey, and one of America’s healthi- est herds of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. The northern section includes about 25,000 acres in Carson National Forest, the least visited portion of the Wilderness. The rest of this large area lies in Santa Fe National Forest, with easy access from Santa Fe, Albuquerque and surrounding towns. Most hikers come during the summer months to explore the extensive system of trails.
Pecos River Valley, an area of broad flat mesas and grassy meadows. There are restrictions pertaining to camping on most of the lakeshores in order to protect wilderness values. At least 15 of the lakes offer first-rate fishing, as do 150-plus miles of spar- kling streams, where rainbow trout, brown trout, and the NM state fish, the Rio Grande cutthroat trout can all be found. These waters head the Wild and Scenic Pecos River, for which the wilderness is named. The high country elevations range from 8,400 feet to 13,103 feet atop South Truchas Peak, the state’s second highest point. The scenery varies from 100-foot-drop waterfalls and crumbled talus slopes to dramatic rock cliffs, towering peaks, and
Fast Facts
Elevation: 6,945 feet
Highest point:
Truchas Peak, 13,103 feet Average temperature ranges
Los Pinos Ranch
HISTORIC GUEST RANCH ON THE PECOS RIVER
Cowles, New Mexico • 45 miles from Santa Fe • 8,500 feet elevation
loDGinG in The PeCos:
LOS PINOS RANCH:
Historic Guest Ranch on the Pecos River in Cowles, New Mexico. Dining, birding, fishing, hiking, horseback riding.
Log Cabin accomodations. Meals included.
Open Memorial Day thru September.
Call for Reservations: 505-757-6213 lospinosranch.com
PECOS RIVER CABINS:
Year-round , fully furnished modern and summertime rustic cabins located in a picturesque, gated, river-front setting. Bird, Fish, Hike, Relax. WiFi. Reservations: 505-757-8752 or pecosrivercabins@gmail.com
8 River Cabin Road, PO Box 231, Pecos, NM 87552 PECOSRIVERCABINS.COM
PECOS CABINS:
Fully furnished cabins on the Pecos river with hot tubs, wifi & satellite TV. Call or email for reservations.
Reservations: 505-757-2784
pecoscabins.com; pecoscabins@gmail.com
HC 74, Box 705, Pecos, NM 87552
January: 40o–19o July: 85o–50o Annual snowfall: 32 inches;
Annual rainfall: 14 inches
Pecos Wilderness Area: 223,000 acres
www.pecosnewmexico.com/events
“Where the road ends and the trails begin”
Las Vegas & San Miguel Co. Visitors Guide 2019 | 21
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY