Mesita Blanca Wilderness Study Area

About Mesita Blanca Wilderness Study Area

The Mesita Blanca WSA is located in western New Mexico. It is characterized by rolling grasslands broken by isolated sandstone and basalt mesas. Vegetation consists of grasslands and piсon-juniper woodlands. The 500-foot Red Hill Cinder Cone and lava flow provides a landmark within the WSA.

How to Get There

From Highway 60, drive approximately 20 miles west of Quemado to County Road A7/McKinley Ranch Road. Highway road signs at the intersection indicate a road to the town of Luna (County Road B7) to the south. Turn north (right) on County Road A7/McKinley Ranch Road which is immediately opposite of the road to Luna and drive north for approximately 6.5 miles. From this point, the WSA's eastern edge will be on your left for approximately 7.5 miles (the road twice passes through private property with ranch houses, please do not trespass on private property).

Plan Your Visit to Mesita Blanca Wilderness Study Area

Heading to Mesita Blanca Wilderness Study Area? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• Park map (PDF)
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)