The Potrillo Mountains Wilderness Area is located in southern New Mexico,
approximately 30 miles southwest of Las Cruces in the Chihuahuan Desert. These
mountains are a series of 48 volcanic cinder cones with small sand dunes,
playas, and lava fields in-between. The vegetation consists of desert grasses
and shrubs. Indian Basin, a natural depression at the southwest end of the
West Potrillo Mountains, fills with water during the rainy season providing a
temporary pond for ducks. Wintering raptors are found in high numbers due to a
high small mammal prey base.

Per the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act
which became law on March 12, 2019, this web page is currently being updated.
To find more information on the new wilderness areas in New Mexico created by
the Act, please visit: Wilderness Connect

The Potrillo Mountains Wilderness Area is located in southern New Mexico, approximately 30 miles southwest of Las Cruces in the Chihuahuan Desert. These mountains are a series of 48 volcanic cinder cones with small sand dunes, playas, and lava fields in-between. The vegetation consists of desert grasses and shrubs. Indian Basin, a natural depression at the southwest end of the West Potrillo Mountains, fills with water during the rainy season providing a temporary pond for ducks. Wintering raptors are found in high numbers due to a high small mammal prey base. Per the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act which became law on March 12, 2019, this web page is currently being updated. To find more information on the new wilderness areas in New Mexico created by the Act, please visit: <a href="https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/find-a-wilderness.php" rel="nofollow">Wilderness Connect</a>

Bird's eye view of the park

Potrillo Mountains Wilderness Area

The Cinder Cone Wilderness is part of the Greater Potrillo Mountains Complex,
located approximately 30 miles southwest of Las Cruces adjacent to the border
with Mexico. This wilderness features an extremely high concentration of
cinder cones giving evidence of its past volcanic history.  
  
Chihuahuan Desert grassland and yucca, in association with a mosaic of other
desert shrubs such as creosote, acacia, and mesquite, make up the majority of
the plant cover in the area. Isolated clumps of netleaf hackberry and other
desert trees are found in the lava flow where depressions or deeper pockets of
soil hold extra water after rainfall. Occasional juniper trees are also found
on mountain slopes and in larger drainages. Summer monsoon rains bring
extensive stands of wildflowers in this area including white and yellow desert
zinnias, desert marigolds, blackfoot daisies, globe mallow, pepperweed, desert
sunflowers, Chihuahuan flax, and summer poppy. Unusually large specimens of
barrel cactus also live in this area.  
  
Raptors are common, especially during the winter. Golden eagles, great-horned
owls, and Swainson’s hawks nest here, and peregrine falcons have also been
reported. Other species that forage and live in the area include pronghorn,
mule deer, quail, jackrabbits, and occasional migrating ducks on ephemeral
ponds.

The Cinder Cone Wilderness is part of the Greater Potrillo Mountains Complex, located approximately 30 miles southwest of Las Cruces adjacent to the border with Mexico. This wilderness features an extremely high concentration of cinder cones giving evidence of its past volcanic history. Chihuahuan Desert grassland and yucca, in association with a mosaic of other desert shrubs such as creosote, acacia, and mesquite, make up the majority of the plant cover in the area. Isolated clumps of netleaf hackberry and other desert trees are found in the lava flow where depressions or deeper pockets of soil hold extra water after rainfall. Occasional juniper trees are also found on mountain slopes and in larger drainages. Summer monsoon rains bring extensive stands of wildflowers in this area including white and yellow desert zinnias, desert marigolds, blackfoot daisies, globe mallow, pepperweed, desert sunflowers, Chihuahuan flax, and summer poppy. Unusually large specimens of barrel cactus also live in this area. Raptors are common, especially during the winter. Golden eagles, great-horned owls, and Swainson’s hawks nest here, and peregrine falcons have also been reported. Other species that forage and live in the area include pronghorn, mule deer, quail, jackrabbits, and occasional migrating ducks on ephemeral ponds.

Cinder Cone Wilderness Area

The Mount Riley Wilderness Area is located in southern New Mexico
approximately 30 miles southwest of Las Cruces. The Wilderness Area is
comprised of three volcanic cinder cones approximately 1,500 feet high.
Vegetation consists of desert grasses and shrubs. There are no maintained
trails to the summits; however, hikers are rewarded with 360 degree views from
the top.

The Mount Riley Wilderness Area is located in southern New Mexico approximately 30 miles southwest of Las Cruces. The Wilderness Area is comprised of three volcanic cinder cones approximately 1,500 feet high. Vegetation consists of desert grasses and shrubs. There are no maintained trails to the summits; however, hikers are rewarded with 360 degree views from the top.

Mount Riley Wilderness Area

The Whitethorn Wilderness is named for the prevalent white-thorn acacia, a key
year-round food source for quail and a summer food source for desert mule
deer. The volcanic landscape is characterized by cinder cones and craters.
Weathered lava houses small and large wildlife, and views stretch hundreds of
miles.  
  
Raptors are common, especially during the winter. Golden eagles, great-horned
owls, and Swainson’s hawks nest here, and peregrine falcons have also been
reported. Other species that forage and live in the area include pronghorn,
mule deer, quail, jackrabbits, and occasional migrating ducks on ephemeral
ponds.  
  
Chihuahuan Desert grassland and yucca, in association with a mosaic of other
desert shrubs such as creosote, acacia, and mesquite, make up the majority of
the plant cover in the area. Isolated clumps of netleaf hackberry and other
desert trees are found in the lava flow where depressions or deeper pockets of
soil hold extra water after rainfall. Summer monsoon rains bring extensive
stands of wildflowers in this area including white and yellow desert zinnias,
desert marigolds, blackfoot daisies, globe mallow, pepperweed, desert
sunflowers, Chihuahuan flax, and summer poppy.

The Whitethorn Wilderness is named for the prevalent white-thorn acacia, a key year-round food source for quail and a summer food source for desert mule deer. The volcanic landscape is characterized by cinder cones and craters. Weathered lava houses small and large wildlife, and views stretch hundreds of miles. Raptors are common, especially during the winter. Golden eagles, great-horned owls, and Swainson’s hawks nest here, and peregrine falcons have also been reported. Other species that forage and live in the area include pronghorn, mule deer, quail, jackrabbits, and occasional migrating ducks on ephemeral ponds. Chihuahuan Desert grassland and yucca, in association with a mosaic of other desert shrubs such as creosote, acacia, and mesquite, make up the majority of the plant cover in the area. Isolated clumps of netleaf hackberry and other desert trees are found in the lava flow where depressions or deeper pockets of soil hold extra water after rainfall. Summer monsoon rains bring extensive stands of wildflowers in this area including white and yellow desert zinnias, desert marigolds, blackfoot daisies, globe mallow, pepperweed, desert sunflowers, Chihuahuan flax, and summer poppy.

Whitethorn Wilderness Area

Chihuahuan Desert grassland and yucca, in association with a mosaic of other
desert shrubs such as creosote, acacia, and mesquite, make up the majority of
the plant cover in the area. Occasional juniper trees are also found on
mountain slopes and in larger drainages. The limestone substrate provides
habitat for a wide diversity of cacti, and sandy areas likely contain
populations of the State-endangered sand prickley pear, Opuntia arenaria, a
special status species. Summer monsoon rains bring extensive stands of
wildflowers in this area including white and yellow desert zinnias, desert
marigolds, blackfoot daisies, globe mallow, pepperweed, desert sunflowers,
Chihuahuan flax, and summer poppy. Unusually large specimens of barrel cactus
also live in this area.  
  
Raptors are common, especially during the winter. Golden eagles, great-horned
owls, and Swainson’s hawks nest here, and peregrine falcons have also been
reported. Other species that forage and live in the area include pronghorn,
mule deer, quail, and jackrabbits.  
  
Evidence of pre-Columbian Indian habitation exists in caves in the East
Potrillo Mountains. A Classic Mimbres Pueblo located in the region has the
highest concentration of bird bones of any known Mimbres site.

Chihuahuan Desert grassland and yucca, in association with a mosaic of other desert shrubs such as creosote, acacia, and mesquite, make up the majority of the plant cover in the area. Occasional juniper trees are also found on mountain slopes and in larger drainages. The limestone substrate provides habitat for a wide diversity of cacti, and sandy areas likely contain populations of the State-endangered sand prickley pear, Opuntia arenaria, a special status species. Summer monsoon rains bring extensive stands of wildflowers in this area including white and yellow desert zinnias, desert marigolds, blackfoot daisies, globe mallow, pepperweed, desert sunflowers, Chihuahuan flax, and summer poppy. Unusually large specimens of barrel cactus also live in this area. Raptors are common, especially during the winter. Golden eagles, great-horned owls, and Swainson’s hawks nest here, and peregrine falcons have also been reported. Other species that forage and live in the area include pronghorn, mule deer, quail, and jackrabbits. Evidence of pre-Columbian Indian habitation exists in caves in the East Potrillo Mountains. A Classic Mimbres Pueblo located in the region has the highest concentration of bird bones of any known Mimbres site.

East Potrillo Mountains Wilderness Area

The Aden Lava Flow Wilderness is characterized by basalt flows, volcanic
craters, and coppice sand dunes. The lava flow includes pressure ridges, lava
tubes, and steep-walled depressions of up to 100 feet wide. Grass and shrubs
grow on the flow with many cacti and yucca. Vegetation consists of grasslands
and desert shrubs such as mesquite and creosote. Vent tubes, and the many
crevices found in the lava, provide cover and den sites for wildlife.
Melanistic (dark) forms of mammals and reptiles occur on the black lava flows.
including the rock pocket mouse and black-tailed rattlesnake. Bats are also
numerous, making their homes in the cracks of this broken lava landscape.

The Aden Lava Flow Wilderness is characterized by basalt flows, volcanic craters, and coppice sand dunes. The lava flow includes pressure ridges, lava tubes, and steep-walled depressions of up to 100 feet wide. Grass and shrubs grow on the flow with many cacti and yucca. Vegetation consists of grasslands and desert shrubs such as mesquite and creosote. Vent tubes, and the many crevices found in the lava, provide cover and den sites for wildlife. Melanistic (dark) forms of mammals and reptiles occur on the black lava flows. including the rock pocket mouse and black-tailed rattlesnake. Bats are also numerous, making their homes in the cracks of this broken lava landscape.

Aden Lava Flow Wilderness

The Aden Lava Flow WSA is located 20 miles southwest of Las Cruces in the
Chihuahuan Desert. The area is characterized by basalt flows, volcanic
craters, and coppice sand dunes. The lava flow includes pressure ridges, lava
tubes, and steep-walled depressions of up to 100 feet wide. Grass and shrubs
grow on the flow with many cacti and yucca. Vegetation consists of grasslands
and desert shrubs such as mesquite and creosote. Vent tubes, and the many
crevices found in the lava, provide cover and den sites for wildlife. Bats are
numerous and the rock pocket mouse and black-tailed rattlesnake are found on
the black lava flows.

Per the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act
which became law on March 12, 2019, this web page is currently being updated.
To find more information on the new wilderness areas in New Mexico created by
the Act, please visit: Wilderness Connect

The Aden Lava Flow WSA is located 20 miles southwest of Las Cruces in the Chihuahuan Desert. The area is characterized by basalt flows, volcanic craters, and coppice sand dunes. The lava flow includes pressure ridges, lava tubes, and steep-walled depressions of up to 100 feet wide. Grass and shrubs grow on the flow with many cacti and yucca. Vegetation consists of grasslands and desert shrubs such as mesquite and creosote. Vent tubes, and the many crevices found in the lava, provide cover and den sites for wildlife. Bats are numerous and the rock pocket mouse and black-tailed rattlesnake are found on the black lava flows. Per the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act which became law on March 12, 2019, this web page is currently being updated. To find more information on the new wilderness areas in New Mexico created by the Act, please visit: <a href="https://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/advResults?START=1&SID=28&SOURCE=form&WNAME=&multi=0&AID=0&AID1=0&AID2=0&RID=0&ACREAGEOPERATOR=AllTypes&ACREAGESELECTED=&YEARDESIGNATEDOPERATOR=Greater_Than&YEARSELECTED=2018&YEARSELECTED_BETWEEN=&orderby=wildernessname" rel="nofollow">Wilderness Connect</a>

Aden Lava Flow Wilderness Study Area

A remnant of an ancient volcanic explosion, Kilbourne Hole was designated a
National Natural Landmark in 1975. This crater can be found in a desert basin
between the Potrillo Mountains and the Rio Grande in southern Dona Ana County.
Kilbourne Hole is roughly elliptical in shape, and is known as a Maar - a pit
or depression caused by a volcanic explosion with little material emitted
except volcanic gas. The crater is between 24,000 and 100,000 years old, and
measures 1.7 miles long by well over a mile across, and is hundreds of feet
deep.

Kilbourne Hole has many unique minerals remaining from the eruption. The
crusts of the Kilbourne Hole volcanic bombs - objects blown from the volcanic
vent in a near plastic state - are dull black or brown, but when broken open
they often reveal a brilliant, sparkling yellow and green interior of olivine
glass granules.

A remnant of an ancient volcanic explosion, Kilbourne Hole was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1975. This crater can be found in a desert basin between the Potrillo Mountains and the Rio Grande in southern Dona Ana County. Kilbourne Hole is roughly elliptical in shape, and is known as a Maar - a pit or depression caused by a volcanic explosion with little material emitted except volcanic gas. The crater is between 24,000 and 100,000 years old, and measures 1.7 miles long by well over a mile across, and is hundreds of feet deep. 
 
Kilbourne Hole has many unique minerals remaining from the eruption. The crusts of the Kilbourne Hole volcanic bombs - objects blown from the volcanic vent in a near plastic state - are dull black or brown, but when broken open they often reveal a brilliant, sparkling yellow and green interior of olivine glass granules.

Kilbourne Hole Volcanic Crater

The Aden Hills Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area encompasses approximately 8,700
acres of Chihuahuan Desert scrub environment characterized by low mesquite or
creosote-stabilized coppice dunes, and a variety of dropseed grasses, yucca,
and cacti. The Area was designated in 1993 as a place where off-road/cross-
country travel would be allowed.  
  
The Area is used up to 2 times per year for an organized motorcycle race,
which is the BLM approves through a special recreation permit. The Area is
also a venue for periodic ATV/UTV training provided by the New Mexico
Department of Game and Fish.

The Aden Hills Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area encompasses approximately 8,700 acres of Chihuahuan Desert scrub environment characterized by low mesquite or creosote-stabilized coppice dunes, and a variety of dropseed grasses, yucca, and cacti. The Area was designated in 1993 as a place where off-road/cross-country travel would be allowed. 
 
The Area is used up to 2 times per year for an organized motorcycle race, which is the BLM approves through a special recreation permit. The Area is also a venue for periodic ATV/UTV training provided by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Potrillo Mountains Wilderness Area

Directions

Reviews

Nearby Parks