San Pedro Parks Wilderness
The San Pedro Parks Wilderness is located in southern Rio Arriba County in northern New Mexico and part of the Santa Fe National Forest. It is 41,132 acres (16,646 ha) (64 sq miles) in size. Elevations range from 8,300 feet (2,500 m) in the southwestern corner to 10,592 feet (3,228 m) at San Pedro Peaks near the center of the Wilderness.[1] The Wilderness's average elevation is over 10,000 ft.[2] Conifer forests, interspaced with grassy meadows, called "parks," characterize the wilderness. San Pedro Parks Wilderness is primarily visited for hiking, camping, hunting, and fishing. The Continental Divide Trail passes through the Wilderness.
History
In 1931, San Pedro Parks was designated a "Primitive Area" by the
Topography, flora, and fauna
San Pedro Parks Wilderness is located in the
San Pedro Parks receives about 35 inches (89 cm) of precipitation annually, making it one of the wettest areas of New Mexico. Snowfall is heavy in winter and snow cover can persist until early June. Many of the meadows are boggy from the heavy precipitation.[4] San Gregorio reservoir is an artificial lake about one-half mile long and one-half mile wide at an elevation of 9,400 feet (2,900 m) on the southern edge of the wilderness.
Animals found in San Pedro Parks are typical of the southern Rocky Mountains: mule deer, black bear. wild turkey, and, especially, elk. A large herd of elk summers in the wilderness.[5] In addition, as of 2004 730 head of cattle are permitted to graze inside San Pedro Parks.[6]
Climate
Part of the park has a humid continental climate of the warm-summer type (Köppen: Dfb) and in higher areas a continental subarctic climate (Dfc) with short summers (using the 0 °C isoterm).[7][8]
This climate data is from a ravine in the vicinity of the wilderness area that presents the expected climate of the area.
Climate data for Wolf Canyon, New Mexico (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 63 (17) |
69 (21) |
75 (24) |
78 (26) |
86 (30) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
96 (36) |
91 (33) |
80 (27) |
74 (23) |
68 (20) |
99 (37) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 51 (11) |
52 (11) |
59 (15) |
67 (19) |
74 (23) |
83 (28) |
84 (29) |
80 (27) |
78 (26) |
69 (21) |
60 (16) |
52 (11) |
84 (29) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 37.6 (3.1) |
39.5 (4.2) |
46.4 (8.0) |
54.9 (12.7) |
63.9 (17.7) |
74.4 (23.6) |
76.5 (24.7) |
73.8 (23.2) |
68.4 (20.2) |
57.7 (14.3) |
46.1 (7.8) |
37.9 (3.3) |
56.4 (13.6) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.9 (−5.1) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
32.2 (0.1) |
39.2 (4.0) |
46.8 (8.2) |
55.7 (13.2) |
60.0 (15.6) |
58.3 (14.6) |
52.3 (11.3) |
42.1 (5.6) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
40.7 (4.8) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 7.9 (−13.4) |
11.6 (−11.3) |
18.0 (−7.8) |
23.7 (−4.6) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
36.9 (2.7) |
43.3 (6.3) |
42.7 (5.9) |
36.0 (2.2) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
17.3 (−8.2) |
8.0 (−13.3) |
25.1 (−3.8) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −12 (−24) |
−9 (−23) |
−2 (−19) |
10 (−12) |
19 (−7) |
26 (−3) |
35 (2) |
34 (1) |
24 (−4) |
14 (−10) |
−2 (−19) |
−10 (−23) |
−16 (−27) |
Record low °F (°C) | −38 (−39) |
−41 (−41) |
−26 (−32) |
−12 (−24) |
5 (−15) |
14 (−10) |
18 (−8) |
22 (−6) |
11 (−12) |
−2 (−19) |
−29 (−34) |
−34 (−37) |
−41 (−41) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.73 (44) |
1.69 (43) |
1.80 (46) |
1.35 (34) |
1.33 (34) |
1.15 (29) |
3.40 (86) |
3.30 (84) |
2.02 (51) |
1.72 (44) |
1.29 (33) |
1.68 (43) |
22.52 (572) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 23.4 (59) |
22.5 (57) |
21.4 (54) |
10.8 (27) |
2.9 (7.4) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
3.7 (9.4) |
11.8 (30) |
21.6 (55) |
118.2 (299.05) |
Source: [1] |
Recreation
About 100 miles of trails crisscross San Pedro Parks. The most popular is Vacas Trail, 7.5 miles (12 km) long. The trailhead is on Forest Road 70 and the trail leads north past San Gregorio Lake and continues to San Pedro Park, the largest meadow in the wilderness. Vacas trail intersects many other trails.[9] About 8 miles (13 km) of the Continental Divide Trail passes through the northeastern part of the wilderness.[10] Fishing for stocked rainbow and native Rio Grande cutthroat trout is popular in the San Gregorio Lake and several small streams.[11] Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are popular sports during the winter. In the fall, hunters visit the wilderness, seeking elk, deer, bear, and grouse.[12]
Vacas Trail/San Gregorio Trailhead
Of all the trails in San Pedro Parks the Vacas trail is the most popular. Starting at the San Gregorio Trailhead, the Vacas trail is 10.69 miles to San Pedro Park, which is the largest "park" in the Santa Fe National Forest wilderness.[13] The elevation at the San Gregorio Trailhead is approximately 9,000 ft, with the climb up to San Pedro Park being gradual.[14] Along this trail there are several parks that appear as breaks from the primarily spruce vegetation.
References
- ^ Delorme, West Region, 6.0
- ^ "Wilderness.net - San Pedro Parks Wilderness - General Information". Wilderness.net. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
- ^ "Wilderness.net - San Pedro Parks Wilderness - General Information". Wilderness.net. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
- ^ Martin, Craig. "Elk, Solitude, and Trout in the San Pedro Parks." http://www.greatoutdoors.com/published/elk-solitude-and-trout-in-the-san-pedro-parks, accessed 22 Apr. 2012
- ^ Martin, Craig. "Elk, Solitude, and Trout in the San Pedro Parks." http://www.greatoutdoors.com/published/elk-solitude-and-trout-in-the-san-pedro-parks, accessed 22 Apr. 2012
- ^ "San Pedro Parks Wilderness" (PDF).
- ^ "Interactive North America Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Map". www.plantmaps.com. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
- ^ Zifan, Ali (2016-02-20), English: USA map of Köppen climate classification, retrieved 2019-03-08
- ^ Parent, Laurence. The Hiker's Guide to New Mexico. Helena, MT: Falcon Publishing Co., 1991, pp. 35-38
- ^ Julyan, Bob. New Mexico's Continental Divide Trail. Englewood, CO: Westcliffe Publishers, 2000, pp. 272-273
- ^ "San Pedro Parks Wilderness." http://www.sumitpost.org/san-pedro-parks-wilderness/630257, accessed 22 Apr 2012
- ^ "Wilderness.net - San Pedro Parks Wilderness - General Information". Wilderness.net. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
- ^ "Wilderness.net - San Pedro Parks Wilderness - General Information". Wilderness.net. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
- ^ "Vacas Trail/San Gregorio Trailhead".