Some of the finest mountain scenery in the Southwest is found in the 1,567,000 acres covered by the Santa Fe National Forest. Elevations rise from 5,300 to 13,101 feet at the summit of Truchas Peak, located within the Pecos Wilderness. The diverse topographic and climatic conditions create a wide variety of landforms and plant and animal habitats. The forest has five Ranger Districts: Coyote, Cuba, and Jemez on the west side of the forest while the Espanola and Pecos/Las Vegas districts manage lands on the east side.

There are four wilderness areas in the Santa Fe National Forest. They cover almost 300,000 acres of land. Wilderness areas provide primitive recreation options.

Wilderness is described as federal land designated by Congress as a place where"earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain" (Wilderness Act of 1964). Such deeemed wilderness areas are managed as places where natural biological processes are allowed to occur unhindered by human interference.

Given the non-intrusive manner in which the wilderness is maintained, recreation in these areas provides the opportunity to see nature in its purest form. We ask that you help us keep it that way by reading our Wilderness Ethics reminder to the right.

The Santa Fe National Forest has over 300,000 acres of wilderness areas within its boundaries.