Exploring Organ- Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument-Color Version

Book excerpt: Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Peaks National Monument is located in Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico. It covers close to 500,000 acres of the Chihuahuan Desert. Closest to Las Cruces are the fantastic spires of the Organ Mountains that rise close to a mile above the Rio Grande valley and the Tertiary volcanic cauldron of the Doña Ana Mountains. Though surrounded by desert grasslands and shrubs, the Organ Mountains are high enough to have small areas of pine and fir forest. There are three wilderness study areas within these units.The largest unit of OMDPNM contains much of both the Robledo Mountains and the Sierra de las Uvas, as well as parts of several smaller ranges. This is a land of steep peaks of both sedimentary and volcanic origin. Here, in the home of the Apache and the ancient Jornada Mogollon peoples, hidden rock art sites abound along side historic ranches, the Butterfield Trail, and World War II bombardier targets. Within this unit are the Las Uvas WSA, Robledo WSA and Prehistoric Trackways National Monument as well.To the southwest of Las Cruces is the remote volcanic landscape of the West Potrillo Mountains with cinder cones, volcanic maars, a shield volcano and lava flows. The steep igneous peaks of Mount Riley and Mount Cox and the intriguing overturned folds of the sedimentary East Potrillo Mountains are contained here also.Outside of the few official trails in the Organ Mountains, this is not a monument easily and safely explored. This book will take visitors to places that few people, even those who have lived in the area all their lives, ever see. Hopefully, it will give insight to even the most seasoned hiker, the challenges involved in negotiating this desert landscape. Many of the hikes are off trail and utilize abandoned roads, livestock and wildlife trails, and arroyo beds. Other hikes are completely cross- country. The sub-text throughout is urging the user to get out and explore, choosing their own destinations and pathways.