Cruces Basin Wilderness
Cruces Basin Wilderness is a wilderness area located within the Carson National Forest in New Mexico just south of the Colorado border. The area was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System on December 19, 1980 by Public Law 95-550. With elevations ranging from, the basin contains numerous creeks as well as forest, meadows, and rock features.The area consists of spruce-fir, ponderosa pine, and aspen forests as well as high elevation grassy meadows. A large fire in 1879 cleared old-growth forest, making room for the aspen forests and meadows present today. The area provides habitat for elk, deer, mountain lion, black bear and coyote. Creeks contain brook, brown, and rainbow trout, as well as beaver.
