White Mountain Wilderness Area

The Pecos Wilderness Area encompasses 223,333 acres in northern New Mexico. The area contains at least 15 lakes that offer excellent fishing, as do150-plus miles of sparkling streams. These waters drain into the Wild and Scenic Pecos River. Here at the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, elevations range from 8,400 feet to 13,103 feet atop South Truchas Peak, the state's second highest point. The scenery varies (although it's always extraordinary) from 100-foot-drop waterfalls and crumbled talus slopes to dramatic rockcliffs, towering peaks, and wildflower meadows best caught in July and August. Equally diverse is the wildlife, with enough elk, deer, bears, bighorn sheep and turkeys to satisfy any hunter.