The southern San Mateo Mountains (where you'll find the Apache Kid Wilderness) are bisected by steep, narrow canyons. The lower elevations are covered with juniper and pinon, the upper elevations with spruce, fir and aspen, and the zone in between is treed with ponderosa pines.

Among the abundant wildlife you'll find mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, black bear, cougar, mountain lion, bobcat, pronghorn and javelina.

This was a favorite area for outlaws to hole up in when they needed to take a break and get some rest without being disturbed by the outside world. This is the area where a group of local ranchers finally hunted the Apache Kid down and killed him (that's how these 44,626 acres of wilderness got the name). The center point of the 68-mile trail system in the Apache Kid Wilderness is the trail to the Kid's grave along 13 miles of mountain crest. The hiking is easy if you stay on the trail, but not all the trails are properly maintained. The photo ops are great, the exercise is excellent, but you'll probably want to bring your own water: most of the springs in here dry up in the summer.

Apache Kid Wilderness
Apache Kid Wilderness is in the heights of those mountains
Apache Kid Wilderness map
Apache Kid Wilderness map
Apache Kid Wilderness area mapFort Craig National Historic SiteThe Box Recreation AreaGordys Hill Recreation AreaSocorro Nature AreaSan Lorenzo Canyon Recreation AreaWithington WildernessBosque del Apache WildernessEl Camino Real Scenic and Historic BywaySocorro Historic District BywayQuebradas Back Country BywayBosque del Apache National Wildlife RefugeSevilleta National Wildlife RefugeCibola National ForestCibola National ForestCibola National Forest
Apache Kid Wilderness area map