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{{Short description|Protected area of New Mexico, US}}
The '''San Pedro Parks Wilderness''' is located in southern [[Rio Arriba County, New Mexico|Rio Arriba County]] in northern [[New Mexico]] and part of the [[Santa Fe National Forest]]. It is {{convert|41,132|acre|ha|}} (64 sq miles) in size. Elevations range from {{convert|8,300|ft|m|}} in the southwestern corner to {{convert|10,592|ft|m|}} at San Pedro Peaks near the center of the wilderness. <ref>Delorme, West Region, 6.0</ref>.
The '''San Pedro Parks Wilderness''' is located in southern [[Rio Arriba County, New Mexico|Rio Arriba County]] in northern [[New Mexico]] and part of the [[Santa Fe National Forest]]. It is {{convert|41,132|acre|ha|}} (64 sq miles) in size. Elevations range from {{convert|8,300|ft|m|}} in the southwestern corner to {{convert|10,592|ft|m|}} at San Pedro Peaks near the center of the Wilderness.<ref>Delorme, West Region, 6.0</ref> The Wilderness's average elevation is over 10,000&nbsp;ft.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=525|title=Wilderness.net - San Pedro Parks Wilderness - General Information|website=Wilderness.net|access-date=2017-05-04}}</ref> 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==
[[File:San pedro parks wilderness.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A map of the Cuba Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest showing the location of San Pedro Parks Wilderness.]]
In 1931, San Pedro Parks was designated a “Primitive"Primitive Area”Area" by the [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]]. In 1965 it was accorded [[National Wilderness Preservation System|Wilderness]] status and protection. U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Camping and fishing are allowed with proper permitpermits, but no roads, buildings, logging, or mining are permitted. Wilderness areas within [[United States National Forests|National Forests]] and [[Bureau of Land Management]] areas allow hunting in season
[[File:San pedro parks -- NFS.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Horseback riders in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness.]]
 
==Topography, flora, and fauna==
 
San Pedro Parks Wilderness is located in the [[Jemez Mountains]] (also called the [[Nacimiento Mountains]]), the western finger of the southernmost [[Rocky Mountains]]. The nearest town is [[Cuba, New Mexico]]. The wilderness is rectangular, approximately {{convert|10 miles|mile|km}} by {{convert|7 miles|mile|km}} in size. Some of the hiking and horseback trails leading into the wilderness are steep but the heart of San Pedro Parks is a plateau, about five miles by six miles, at an elevation of 10,000 feet (3,100 m). Vegetation on the plateau consists of grassy meadows, called “parks"parks",” interspaced with forests of [[EnglemannEngelmann Sprucespruce]], other conifers, and [[Quaking Aspen]]. The plateau is laced with several small streams which support populations of [[Rio Grande]] [[Cutthroatcutthroat trout]]. San Pedro Peaks rises gently among the meadows to an elevation of {{convert|10,592|ft|m|}} feet. Wildflowers of many species abound. The meadows consist primarily of bluegrass, oat grass, sedge, rush, and Rocky Mountain iris.<ref name=":0" />
 
San Pedro Parks receives about {{convert|35|inch|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.<ref name=":1">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</ref> San Gregorio reservoir is an artificial lake about one-half mile long and one-half mile wide at an elevation of {{convert|9,400|ft|m|}} on the southern edge of the wilderness.
 
Animals found in San Pedro Parks are typical of the southern [[Rocky Mountains]]: [[mule deer]], [[American black bear|black bear]]. [[wild turkey]], and, especially, [[elk]]. A large herd of elk summers in the wilderness.<ref name=":1" /> In addition, as of 2004 730 head of cattle are permitted to graze inside San Pedro Parks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev7_020778.pdf|title=San Pedro Parks Wilderness}}</ref>
 
== Climate ==
Part of the park has a [[humid continental climate]] of the warm-summer type ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfb'') and in higher areas a [[Subarctic climate|continental subarctic climate]] (''Dfc'') with short summers (using the 0&nbsp;°C isoterm).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.plantmaps.com/koppen-climate-classification-map-north-america.php|title=Interactive North America Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Map|website=www.plantmaps.com|access-date=2019-03-08}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Zifan|first=Ali|title=English: USA map of Köppen climate classification|date=2016-02-20|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USA_map_of_K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification.svg|access-date=2019-03-08}}</ref>
 
This climate data is from a ravine in the vicinity of the wilderness area that presents the expected climate of the area.
{{Weather box
|location = Wolf Canyon, New Mexico (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 63
|Feb record high F = 69
|Mar record high F = 75
|Apr record high F = 78
|May record high F = 86
|Jun record high F = 95
|Jul record high F = 99
|Aug record high F = 96
|Sep record high F = 91
|Oct record high F = 80
|Nov record high F = 74
|Dec record high F = 68
|year record high F =
|Jan avg record high F = 51
|Feb avg record high F = 52
|Mar avg record high F = 59
|Apr avg record high F = 67
|May avg record high F = 74
|Jun avg record high F = 83
|Jul avg record high F = 84
|Aug avg record high F = 80
|Sep avg record high F = 78
|Oct avg record high F = 69
|Nov avg record high F = 60
|Dec avg record high F = 52
|year avg record high F = 84
|Jan high F = 37.6
|Feb high F = 39.5
|Mar high F = 46.4
|Apr high F = 54.9
|May high F = 63.9
|Jun high F = 74.4
|Jul high F = 76.5
|Aug high F = 73.8
|Sep high F = 68.4
|Oct high F = 57.7
|Nov high F = 46.1
|Dec high F = 37.9
|year high F =
|Jan mean F = 22.9
|Feb mean F = 25.5
|Mar mean F = 32.2
|Apr mean F = 39.2
|May mean F = 46.8
|Jun mean F = 55.7
|Jul mean F = 60.0
|Aug mean F = 58.3
|Sep mean F = 52.3
|Oct mean F = 42.1
|Nov mean F = 31.7
|Dec mean F = 23.0
|year mean F = 40.7
|Jan low F = 7.9
|Feb low F = 11.6
|Mar low F = 18.0
|Apr low F = 23.7
|May low F = 29.7
|Jun low F = 36.9
|Jul low F = 43.3
|Aug low F = 42.7
|Sep low F = 36.0
|Oct low F = 26.4
|Nov low F = 17.3
|Dec low F = 8.0
|year low F =
|Jan avg record low F = -12
|Feb avg record low F = -9
|Mar avg record low F = -2
|Apr avg record low F = 10
|May avg record low F = 19
|Jun avg record low F = 26
|Jul avg record low F = 35
|Aug avg record low F = 34
|Sep avg record low F = 24
|Oct avg record low F = 14
|Nov avg record low F = -2
|Dec avg record low F = -10
|year avg record low F = -16
|Jan record low F = −38
|Feb record low F = −41
|Mar record low F = −26
|Apr record low F = −12
|May record low F = 5
|Jun record low F = 14
|Jul record low F = 18
|Aug record low F = 22
|Sep record low F = 11
|Oct record low F = −2
|Nov record low F = −29
|Dec record low F = −34
|year record low F =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.73
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.69
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.80
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.35
|May precipitation inch = 1.33
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.15
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.40
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.30
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.02
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.72
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.29
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.68
|year precipitation inch = 22.52
 
|Jan snow inch = 23.4
San Pedro Parks receives about {{convert|35|inch|cm|}} of precipitation annually, making it one of the wettest areas of New Mexico. Snowfall is heavy in winter and snow cover persists until late May. Many of the meadows are boggy from the heavy precipitation.<ref>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</ref>San Gregorio reservoir is an artificial lake about one-half mile long and one-half mile wide at an elevation of {{convert|9,400|ft|m|}} on the southern edge of the wilderness.
|Feb snow inch = 22.5
|Mar snow inch = 21.4
|Apr snow inch = 10.8
|May snow inch = 2.9
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.1
|Oct snow inch = 3.7
|Nov snow inch = 11.8
|Dec snow inch = 21.6
|year snow inch =
 
|source 1 = [https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=abq]
Animals found in San Pedro Parks are typical of the southern [[Rocky Mountains]]: [[Mule deer|mule deer]], [[American black bear|black bear]]. [[Wild turkey|wild turkey]], and, especially, [[Elk|elk]]. A large herd of elk summers in the wilderness.<ref>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</ref>
}}
 
==Recreation==
 
About 100 miles of trails crisscross San Pedro Parks. The most popular is Vacas Trail, 7.5 miles (12 &nbsp;km) long. The trailhead is on New MexicoForest HighwayRoad 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.<ref>Parent, Laurence. ''The Hiker’sHiker's Guide to New Mexico''. Helena, MT: Falcon Publishing Co., 1991, pp. 35-38</ref> About 8 miles (13 &nbsp;km) of the [[Continental Divide Trail]] passes through the northeastern part of the wilderness.<ref>Julyan, Bob. ''New Mexico’sMexico's Continental Divide Trail''. Englewood, CO: Westcliffe Publishers, 2000, pp. 272-273</ref> Fishing for stocked [[Rainbow trout|rainbow]] and native [[Rio Grande cutthroat trout]] is popular in the San Gregorio Lake and several small streams.<ref>"San Pedro Parks Wilderness." http://www.sumitpost.org/san-pedro-parks-wilderness/630257, accessed 22 Apr 2012</ref> Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are popular sports during the winter.
In the fall, hunters visit the wilderness, seeking elk, deer, bear, and grouse.<ref name=":0" />
 
== Vacas Trail/San Gregorio Trailhead ==
Fishing for [[Rainbow trout|rainbow]] and [[Cutthroat trout|cutthroat]] trout is popular in the San Gregorio Lake and several small streams.<ref>”San Pedro Parks Wilderness.” http://www.sumitpost.org/san-pedro-parks-wilderness/630257, accessed 22 Apr 2012</ref> Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are popular sports during the winter.
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.<ref name=":0" /> The elevation at the San Gregorio Trailhead is approximately 9,000&nbsp;ft, with the climb up to San Pedro Park being gradual.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/santafe/recarea/?recid=75562|title=Vacas Trail/San Gregorio Trailhead}}</ref> Along this trail there are several parks that appear as breaks from the primarily spruce vegetation.
 
==References==
 
{{Reflist}}{{Protected areas of New Mexico}}{{Authority control}}
{{Reflist}}
 
{{coordCoord|36|05|38|N|106|48|48|W|scale:250000_source:GNIS|display=title}}
 
[[Category:Protected areas of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico]]
[[Category:Wilderness Areasareas of New Mexico]]
[[Category:Santa Fe National Forest]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1931]]
[[Category:1931 establishments in theNew United StatesMexico]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro_Parks_Wilderness"