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 Quebradas Backcountry Byway is an unpaved county road traversing about 24
miles of rugged, colorful landscapes east of Socorro. Two National Wildlife
Refuges are only a few miles from this Byway - Sevilleta to the north and
Bosque del Apache to the south. Much of the Byway includes rolling bench lands
that rise above the Rio Grande floodplain to the west and rugged north-south
running ridges of alternating bands of red and yellow sandstone, red and
purple shale, and white to gray limestone.

The region includes upper Chihuahuan desert mountain ranges with sparse
vegetation. The Quebradas road crosses several arroyos, which drain into the
Rio Grande. Erosion has created scenic geological settings such as the Arroyo
de la Presilla, Arroyo del Tajo, and the Loma de las Canas ridgeline. Many
areas along the road contain near vertical, multicolored cliffs, twisted and
convoluted badlands, narrow box canyons, and other topographic landforms.
Colorful soils and banding of rock formations can be viewed midway through the
drive.

The Quebradas Backcountry Byway is an unpaved county road traversing about 24 miles of rugged, colorful landscapes east of Socorro. Two National Wildlife Refuges are only a few miles from this Byway - Sevilleta to the north and Bosque del Apache to the south. Much of the Byway includes rolling bench lands that rise above the Rio Grande floodplain to the west and rugged north-south running ridges of alternating bands of red and yellow sandstone, red and purple shale, and white to gray limestone.The region includes upper Chihuahuan desert mountain ranges with sparse vegetation. The Quebradas road crosses several arroyos, which drain into the Rio Grande. Erosion has created scenic geological settings such as the Arroyo de la Presilla, Arroyo del Tajo, and the Loma de las Canas ridgeline. Many areas along the road contain near vertical, multicolored cliffs, twisted and convoluted badlands, narrow box canyons, and other topographic landforms. Colorful soils and banding of rock formations can be viewed midway through the drive.

A dirt road winds through sparsely vegetated hills.

Quebradas Backcountry Byway

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the "Royal Road of the Interior," is the
earliest Euro-American trade route in the United States. Linking Spain's
colonial capital at Mexico City to its northern frontier in distant New
Mexico, the route spans three centuries, two countries, and 1,600 miles. It
was part of Spain's Camino Real Intercontinental - a global network of roads
and maritime routes.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro was blazed atop a network of footpaths that
connected Mexico's ancient cultures with the equally ancient cultures of the
interior West. Starting in Mexico City, the frontier wagon road brought
settlers into today's New Mexico. Once travelers crossed the arid lands above
Ciudad Chihuahua, they followed the wide Rio Grande Valley north into New
Mexico. Many of the historic parajes (campsites) and early settlements created
by the Spanish colonists became today's modern cities in the Rio Grande
Valley.

In the United States, the trail stretched from the El Paso area in Texas,
through Las Cruces, Socorro, Belen, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe to Ohkay Owingeh
(San Juan Pueblo), the first Spanish capital in New Mexico. In Mexico, the
historic road runs through Chihuahua, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potos?,
Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, and Quer?taro to Mexico City.

Today, the trail corridor nurtures a lively exchange of ideas, customs, and
language between Mexico and the American Southwest.

## El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail Partnership

Our national historic trails commemorate events and processes that shaped our
Nation. While it is possible to follow the general route of El Camino Real de
Tierra Adentro today on modern highways in New Mexico and Texas, many miles of
the Trail cross private lands and many of the most significant trail sites are
privately owned or managed by tribal, state, or municipal agencies. We work
closely with the National Park Service (www.nps.gov/elca) to administer the
trail and with the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail Association (CARTA)
(www.caminorealcarta.org) to develop volunteer opportunities and projects
along the trail. Contact our many partners for information about the trail and
opportunities to visit trail sites.

## Respect the Trail

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro runs through the heart of the Rio Grande
Valley. The historic road was added to our National Trails System in 2000 as
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail. The trail is
administered jointly by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park
Service. These agencies work in close partnership with El Camino Real de
Tierra Adentro Trail Association (CARTA), the Native Americans whose ancestors
first encountered the Spanish colonists, and a large network of state, county,
and municipal governmental agencies, private landowners, nonprofit heritage
conservation groups, and many others. Trail sites are in private, municipal,
tribal, federal or state ownership. Please ask for permission before visiting
any trail sites on private lands and check with public sites for visiting
hours and regulations.

## Places To Go

There are many places of history and commemoration on El Camino Real for you
to visit. All of these sites participate in El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
National Historic Trail. Museums, interpretive centers, and historic sites
provide information and interpretation.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Interactive Map

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the "Royal Road of the Interior," is the earliest Euro-American trade route in the United States. Linking Spain's colonial capital at Mexico City to its northern frontier in distant New Mexico, the route spans three centuries, two countries, and 1,600 miles. It was part of Spain's Camino Real Intercontinental - a global network of roads and maritime routes.El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro was blazed atop a network of footpaths that connected Mexico's ancient cultures with the equally ancient cultures of the interior West. Starting in Mexico City, the frontier wagon road brought settlers into today's New Mexico. Once travelers crossed the arid lands above Ciudad Chihuahua, they followed the wide Rio Grande Valley north into New Mexico. Many of the historic parajes (campsites) and early settlements created by the Spanish colonists became today's modern cities in the Rio Grande Valley.In the United States, the trail stretched from the El Paso area in Texas, through Las Cruces, Socorro, Belen, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe to Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan Pueblo), the first Spanish capital in New Mexico. In Mexico, the historic road runs through Chihuahua, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potos?, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, and Quer?taro to Mexico City.Today, the trail corridor nurtures a lively exchange of ideas, customs, and language between Mexico and the American Southwest.<h2>El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail Partnership</h2>Our national historic trails commemorate events and processes that shaped our Nation. While it is possible to follow the general route of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro today on modern highways in New Mexico and Texas, many miles of the Trail cross private lands and many of the most significant trail sites are privately owned or managed by tribal, state, or municipal agencies. We work closely with the National Park Service (www.nps.gov/elca) to administer the trail and with the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail Association (CARTA) (www.caminorealcarta.org) to develop volunteer opportunities and projects along the trail. Contact our many partners for information about the trail and opportunities to visit trail sites.<h2>Respect the Trail</h2>El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro runs through the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. The historic road was added to our National Trails System in 2000 as El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail. The trail is administered jointly by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. These agencies work in close partnership with El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail Association (CARTA), the Native Americans whose ancestors first encountered the Spanish colonists, and a large network of state, county, and municipal governmental agencies, private landowners, nonprofit heritage conservation groups, and many others. Trail sites are in private, municipal, tribal, federal or state ownership. Please ask for permission before visiting any trail sites on private lands and check with public sites for visiting hours and regulations.<h2>Places To Go</h2>There are many places of history and commemoration on El Camino Real for you to visit. All of these sites participate in El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail. Museums, interpretive centers, and historic sites provide information and interpretation.<a href="https://www.nps.gov/elca/planyourvisit/places-to-go.htm" rel="nofollow">El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Interactive Map</a>

Bird's eye view of the park

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail

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

Johnson (Gordy's) Hill offers diverse recreation opportunities, including many
roads and trails traversing deeply dissected canyons, high sandstone and
limestone bluffs, terraces, and escarpments. On the higher ridges, there are
scenic views of the Rio Grande Valley to the west. There are a variety of
recreational opportunities, including off-highway vehicle riding on existing
routes, offering challenges for all experience levels. The Quebradas
Backcountry Byway divides the area from west to east and provides excellent
opportunities for driving and photography.

Please check with the Socorro Field Office before going out to this recreation
area to learn about any restrictions or changes in activities.

Johnson (Gordy's) Hill offers diverse recreation opportunities, including many roads and trails traversing deeply dissected canyons, high sandstone and limestone bluffs, terraces, and escarpments. On the higher ridges, there are scenic views of the Rio Grande Valley to the west. There are a variety of recreational opportunities, including off-highway vehicle riding on existing routes, offering challenges for all experience levels. The Quebradas Backcountry Byway divides the area from west to east and provides excellent opportunities for driving and photography.Please check with the Socorro Field Office before going out to this recreation area to learn about any restrictions or changes in activities.

Johnson (Gordy's) Hill

The Socorro Nature Area is a 120-acre environmental education area in the Rio
Grande Bosque. The area includes a 1/2-mile self-guiding nature walk with
interpretive signs, a pond, and an amphitheater. It also has picnic tables, a
group shelter, and a restroom.

The Socorro Nature Area is a 120-acre environmental education area in the Rio Grande Bosque. The area includes a 1/2-mile self-guiding nature walk with interpretive signs, a pond, and an amphitheater. It also has picnic tables, a group shelter, and a restroom.

* No Fees.
  * Call the Socorro Field Office to get the gate combination or reserve dates.

Socorro Nature Area

The Veranito WSA is located in central New Mexico approximately five miles
east of Socorro. The area is characterized by a series of undulating, parallel
ridges cut by numerous arroyos. It is interspersed with low-lying hills and a
low elevation east-facing escarpment. The vegetation is typical of the upper
Chihuahuan Desert.

The Veranito WSA is located in central New Mexico approximately five miles east of Socorro. The area is characterized by a series of undulating, parallel ridges cut by numerous arroyos. It is interspersed with low-lying hills and a low elevation east-facing escarpment. The vegetation is typical of the upper Chihuahuan Desert.

Veranito Wilderness Study 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.

Sierra de las Canas Wilderness Study Area

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 Devil's Reach WSA is a rugged area just west of the Devil's Backbone WSA.
Devil's Reach is primarily grass covered.

The Devil's Reach WSA is a rugged area just west of the Devil's Backbone WSA. Devil's Reach is primarily grass covered.

Devil's Reach Wilderness Study Area

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

San Lorenzo Canyon is jointly managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and the Bureau of Land Management as a primitive recreation area. This scenic
east-west canyon offers ample outdoor opportunities for hiking and primitive
camping. Not only a destination for hikers, the Canyon offers outstanding
opportunities for photographers. Millions of years of Earth’s history unfold
in San Lorenzo Canyon, a picturesque area of sandstone cliffs, arches, and
hoodoos. The cottonwoods indicate there may have been a reliable water source
at one time in the area. The area has remnants of old ranches and homesteads;
springs and tiny creeks are hidden in the canyon bottoms and washes. High
clearance and/or 4-wheel drive vehicles are recommended. There are no
restrooms or drinking water.

San Lorenzo Canyon is jointly managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management as a primitive recreation area. This scenic east-west canyon offers ample outdoor opportunities for hiking and primitive camping. Not only a destination for hikers, the Canyon offers outstanding opportunities for photographers. Millions of years of Earth’s history unfold in San Lorenzo Canyon, a picturesque area of sandstone cliffs, arches, and hoodoos. The cottonwoods indicate there may have been a reliable water source at one time in the area. The area has remnants of old ranches and homesteads; springs and tiny creeks are hidden in the canyon bottoms and washes. High clearance and/or 4-wheel drive vehicles are recommended. There are no restrooms or drinking water.

San Lorenzo Canyon

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.

The Box Recreation Area

Directions

Stay Limit

Reviews

Nearby Parks

Quebradas Backcountry Byway

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail

Presilla Wilderness Study Area

Johnson (Gordy's) Hill

Socorro Nature Area

Veranito Wilderness Study Area

Sierra de las Canas Wilderness Study Area

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

Devil's Reach Wilderness Study Area

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail

San Lorenzo Canyon

Devil's Backbone Wilderness Study Area