Travel along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail to
experience and learn from a complicated legacy of 300 years of conflict,
cooperation, and cultural exchange between a variety of empires—European and
non-European alike.

Travel along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail to experience and learn from a complicated legacy of 300 years of conflict, cooperation, and cultural exchange between a variety of empires—European and non-European alike.

Spanish troops built a presidio (fort) and chapel at this site during the 1780s to protect settlements in the lower Rнo Grande Valley downstream from El Paso, Texas.

Presidio Chapel of San Elizario, Mission Trail, El Paso, Texas

El Rancho de las Golondrinas was a historic paraje (stopping place) along El Camino Real. “The ranch of the swallows” dates from the early 1700s, and is now being used as a living history museum.

El Rancho de las Golondrinas, La Cienega, New Mexico

Fort Selden was built near the town of Las Cruces in 1865 and housed troops for 25 years. The visitor center offers exhibits on frontier military life during the fort’s heyday and the grounds are self-guided.

Fort Selden Historic Site, Radium Springs, New Mexico

Walk in the footsteps of settlers from the 1600s who had to walk along this dreaded yet unavoidable section of El Camino Real: Jornada del Muerto or Dead Man’s Journey.

Jornada del Muerto, County Roads A013 & E070, Sierra & Doсa Ana Counties, New Mexico

The Tiwa pueblo of Kuaua lies in ruin at Coronado Historic Site. The site includes a rebuilt kiva that displays reproductions of original murals adorning its walls. Be sure to go to the visitor center where some of the original murals are displayed.

Kuaua Ruin in Coronado Historic Site, Bernalillo, New Mexico

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, located in San Antonio, Socorro
County, New Mexico, is one of over 560 units within the National Wildlife
Refuge System. Situated between the Chupadera Mountains to the west and the
San Pascual Mountains to the east, the 57,331 acre Bosque del Apache was
established in 1939 to provide a critical stopover site for migrating
waterfowl. The refuge is well known for the tens of thousands of cranes,
geese, and ducks who winter here each year. Over 30,000 acres of Bosque del
Apache are designated wilderness.

The Rio Grande may seem tame now, but for thousands of years it was a wild and
unpredictable river. Every spring, melting snow from the mountains filled the
river with water until it overflowed its banks – flooding the land around it.

In the summer, heavy rains swelled the river even more. At times, the
overflowing water was so powerful that the entire path of the river changed,
forming new ponds and marshes in the old riverbed. In these fertile river
floodplains, all kinds of lush vegetation grew – providing plentiful food
sources for wildlife. Majestic birds like sandhill cranes migrated here to
spend the winter feasting on nutritious grasses like chufa and millet while
other animals thrived amid the cottonwood forests and shrublands.

The big river attracted humans too. More than 700 years ago, Piro Indians
built settlements of mud and stone houses along the river. They hunted and
gathered food along the riverbanks, and they learned to farm the bottomlands.

In the late 16th century, Spanish colonists arrived following the river
northward. Their horses, wagons, cattle, and sheep trampled a rutted, dusty
road. As more people moved in, they created ranches, farms, and towns that
replaced the Piro Indians and their pueblos.

The new settlers started to change the Rio Grande. A river that overflowed and
dug new routes every season was seen as a problem – especially if your house
got flooded or your crops washed away. So, people started building dams and
irrigation ditches to manage the flow of the river and divert water for crops,
livestock, and homes. Taming the wild Rio Grande was great for people – but
not great for wildlife. The once-grand river shrank to a shallow stream.

Without a flooding river, the floodplain marshes dried up. Chufa, millet, and
other plants that grew in the wetlands started to disappear. When their food
supply disappeared, the region’s wildlife – especially its migratory birds –
started to disappear too.

Yet, many people thought the wildlife and habitats along this portion of the
river were worth preserving. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps
began working to restore the floodplains in the Bosque del Apache area as
wildlife habitat. In 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge as part of a national system of
lands dedicated to wildlife protection.

Today, our staff manages water to create wetlands like when the river ran
wild. These seasonal wetlands re-create the types of habitats that both year-
round and migratory wildlife need to thrive. Using gates and ditches, water is
moved from the river through fields, marshes, and ponds, and then back to the
river to mimic natural flooding cycles.

Once again, the Rio Grande and its wetlands provide food and homes for some of
America’s most spectacular wildlife, as well as places where thousands of
people can observe and enjoy the natural world.

Bosque del Apache Wilderness

Designated in 1975

30,427 acres

The Wilderness Act of 1964 created the National Wilderness Preservation System
"in order to assure that an increasing population, accompanied by expanding
settlement and growing mechanization, does not occupy and modify all areas in
the United States, and its possession, leaving no lands designated for
preservation and protection in their natural condition..."

For more information about Bosque del Apache wilderness, visit wilderness.net.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, located in San Antonio, Socorro County, New Mexico, is one of over 560 units within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Situated between the Chupadera Mountains to the west and the San Pascual Mountains to the east, the 57,331 acre Bosque del Apache was established in 1939 to provide a critical stopover site for migrating waterfowl. The refuge is well known for the tens of thousands of cranes, geese, and ducks who winter here each year. Over 30,000 acres of Bosque del Apache are designated wilderness.  The Rio Grande may seem tame now, but for thousands of years it was a wild and unpredictable river. Every spring, melting snow from the mountains filled the river with water until it overflowed its banks – flooding the land around it. In the summer, heavy rains swelled the river even more. At times, the overflowing water was so powerful that the entire path of the river changed, forming new ponds and marshes in the old riverbed. In these fertile river floodplains, all kinds of lush vegetation grew – providing plentiful food sources for wildlife. Majestic birds like sandhill cranes migrated here to spend the winter feasting on nutritious grasses like chufa and millet while other animals thrived amid the cottonwood forests and shrublands. The big river attracted humans too. More than 700 years ago, Piro Indians built settlements of mud and stone houses along the river. They hunted and gathered food along the riverbanks, and they learned to farm the bottomlands. In the late 16th century, Spanish colonists arrived following the river northward. Their horses, wagons, cattle, and sheep trampled a rutted, dusty road. As more people moved in, they created ranches, farms, and towns that replaced the Piro Indians and their pueblos. The new settlers started to change the Rio Grande. A river that overflowed and dug new routes every season was seen as a problem – especially if your house got flooded or your crops washed away. So, people started building dams and irrigation ditches to manage the flow of the river and divert water for crops, livestock, and homes. Taming the wild Rio Grande was great for people – but not great for wildlife. The once-grand river shrank to a shallow stream. Without a flooding river, the floodplain marshes dried up. Chufa, millet, and other plants that grew in the wetlands started to disappear. When their food supply disappeared, the region’s wildlife – especially its migratory birds – started to disappear too. Yet, many people thought the wildlife and habitats along this portion of the river were worth preserving. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps began working to restore the floodplains in the Bosque del Apache area as wildlife habitat. In 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge as part of a national system of lands dedicated to wildlife protection. Today, our staff manages water to create wetlands like when the river ran wild. These seasonal wetlands re-create the types of habitats that both year-round and migratory wildlife need to thrive. Using gates and ditches, water is moved from the river through fields, marshes, and ponds, and then back to the river to mimic natural flooding cycles. Once again, the Rio Grande and its wetlands provide food and homes for some of America’s most spectacular wildlife, as well as places where thousands of people can observe and enjoy the natural world. Bosque del Apache WildernessDesignated in 197530,427 acresThe Wilderness Act of 1964 created the National Wilderness Preservation System "in order to assure that an increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization, does not occupy and modify all areas in the United States, and its possession, leaving no lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural condition..."<a href="https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=66" rel="nofollow">For more information about Bosque del Apache wilderness, visit wilderness.net.</a>

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

The Antelope WSA is an open landscape that provides 360-degree views of
rolling desert prairie. It is adjacent to the San Pasqual Wilderness, which is
managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This area is home to both
antelope and mule deer and boasts a mix of broom dalea and sand sage. The
vegetation provides ideal raptor-feeding habitat.

The Antelope WSA is an open landscape that provides 360-degree views of rolling desert prairie. It is adjacent to the San Pasqual Wilderness, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This area is home to both antelope and mule deer and boasts a mix of broom dalea and sand sage. The vegetation provides ideal raptor-feeding habitat.

Antelope Wilderness Study Area

Established in 1854, Fort Craig was one of the largest and most important
frontier forts in the West. Set in the rugged beauty of Socorro County, NM, it
was one of eight forts situated along the primary north-south road in the Rio
Grande Valley. Fort Craig played a crucial role in Indian campaigns and the
Civil War. Military excursions from Fort Craig pursued such notable Apache
leaders as Geronimo, Victorio, and Nana. The Fort has a rich multicultural
history, full of stories of courage, honor, and sacrifice. The Fort was home
to Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry and 38th and 125th Infantry, the
predominantly Hispanic New Mexico Volunteers and New Mexico Militia, and
household names like Kit Carson, Rafael Chacón, and Captain Jack Crawford.

Established in 1854, Fort Craig was one of the largest and most important frontier forts in the West. Set in the rugged beauty of Socorro County, NM, it was one of eight forts situated along the primary north-south road in the Rio Grande Valley. Fort Craig played a crucial role in Indian campaigns and the Civil War. Military excursions from Fort Craig pursued such notable Apache leaders as Geronimo, Victorio, and Nana. The Fort has a rich multicultural history, full of stories of courage, honor, and sacrifice. The Fort was home to Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry and 38th and 125th Infantry, the predominantly Hispanic New Mexico Volunteers and New Mexico Militia, and household names like Kit Carson, Rafael Chacón, and Captain Jack Crawford.

Five standing walls of Fort Craig photographed from a low angle in black and white.

Fort Craig Historic Site

The 640-acre Box Recreation Area is a highly scenic, rugged area that is very
popular for technical rock climbing and bouldering. The five cliffs on either
side of this box canyon provide popular rock climbing for even highly skilled
technical climbers. Challenging climbing opportunities include the Waterfall
Wall, Corner Block, and the Fillet a Papillon Wall.

The 640-acre Box Recreation Area is a highly scenic, rugged area that is very popular for technical rock climbing and bouldering. The five cliffs on either side of this box canyon provide popular rock climbing for even highly skilled technical climbers. Challenging climbing opportunities include the Waterfall Wall, Corner Block, and the Fillet a Papillon Wall.

A woman climbs a rock face at The Box Recreation Area.

A climber at The Box Recreation Area

The Box Recreation Area

The Sierra de las Cañas as WSA is located in west-central New Mexico. This
rugged desert mountain range is highly scenic. It features colorful sheer rock
escarpments, deep narrow canyons, mountain ridges, mesa tops, and badlands.
This highly scenic area contains the Loma de las Cañas as Ridgecrest with
multi-colored sandstone, limestone, siltstone, and shale. There is also
interesting vegetation including yuccas, cholla, prickly pear cacti, and
ocotillo. Spring wildflowers are a special attraction.

The Sierra de las Cañas as WSA is located in west-central New Mexico. This rugged desert mountain range is highly scenic. It features colorful sheer rock escarpments, deep narrow canyons, mountain ridges, mesa tops, and badlands. This highly scenic area contains the Loma de las Cañas as Ridgecrest with multi-colored sandstone, limestone, siltstone, and shale. There is also interesting vegetation including yuccas, cholla, prickly pear cacti, and ocotillo. Spring wildflowers are a special attraction.

Bird's eye view of the park

Sierra de las Canas Wilderness Study Area

The Devil's Backbone WSA is characterized by its knife-edged ridges and peaks
rising above the surrounding desert grassland. The north contains piсon-
juniper while the south is comprised of rocky grasslands. A great number of
raptors, including one pair of golden eagles, nests in the area. Mountains
lions are also seen on occasion.

The Devil's Backbone WSA is characterized by its knife-edged ridges and peaks rising above the surrounding desert grassland. The north contains piсon-juniper while the south is comprised of rocky grasslands. A great number of raptors, including one pair of golden eagles, nests in the area. Mountains lions are also seen on occasion.

Devil's Backbone Wilderness Study Area

The Presilla WSA is located in central New Mexico, approximately 10 miles east
of Socorro. The landform consists of a mesa cut by large arroyos, rugged
limestone, sandstone hills, and scattered coppice dunes. Vegetation consists
of desert shrubs. The WSA is home to many wildlife species, including Red-
tailed and Cooper's hawks, prairie falcons, doves, quail, songbirds, mule
deer, gray and kit fox, rock squirrels, jackrabbits, and several reptilian
species.

The Presilla WSA is located in central New Mexico, approximately 10 miles east of Socorro. The landform consists of a mesa cut by large arroyos, rugged limestone, sandstone hills, and scattered coppice dunes. Vegetation consists of desert shrubs. The WSA is home to many wildlife species, including Red-tailed and Cooper's hawks, prairie falcons, doves, quail, songbirds, mule deer, gray and kit fox, rock squirrels, jackrabbits, and several reptilian species.

Contact the field office for more information.

Presilla Wilderness Study Area

The Jornada del Muerto WSA is located in the west-central part of New Mexico
about 45 air miles south-southeast of Socorro. The WSA is almost entirely
composed of lava flows that are characterized by lava tubes, sink holes, and
pressure ridges. Many of these structures have been silted in by fine
windblown sand and clay materials, which support a variety of grass species
and soaptree yucca. This area is also home to many species of dark reptiles
and a large population of bats that live in a lava tube extending from a
crater.

The Jornada del Muerto WSA is located in the west-central part of New Mexico about 45 air miles south-southeast of Socorro. The WSA is almost entirely composed of lava flows that are characterized by lava tubes, sink holes, and pressure ridges. Many of these structures have been silted in by fine windblown sand and clay materials, which support a variety of grass species and soaptree yucca. This area is also home to many species of dark reptiles and a large population of bats that live in a lava tube extending from a crater.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail

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