USFS · New Mexico

Apache Kid Wilderness

Angered by his relentless raids, local ranchers hunted down and killed the Apache Kid on these grounds. To mark the site of the Kid's undoing, the vengeful posse blazed a tree, the hacked remains of which...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Apache Kid Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateNew Mexico
Size44,678 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1980, by Congress
Center point33.6315, -107.4209
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Apache Kid Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.53 inches of precipitation, 3.1 inches of snowFebruary: 0.39 inches of precipitation, 1.1 inches of snowMarch: 0.39 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowApril: 0.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 0.57 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.76 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.93 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.72 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.76 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.04 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowNovember: 0.74 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowDecember: 0.75 inches of precipitation, 3.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 36.3°F averageFebruary: 39.7°F averageMarch: 45.4°F averageApril: 52.3°F averageMay: 60.1°F averageJune: 69.3°F averageJuly: 71.2°F averageAugust: 68.8°F averageSeptember: 62.9°F averageOctober: 53.0°F averageNovember: 42.6°F averageDecember: 35.5°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Winston, 23 miles from the center point at 6,196 feet, station USC00299806 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 14 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 10 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 2,800 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.

15 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 91 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Apache Kid19.7
Indian Creek8.6
Maverick8.2
Skeleton Ridge7.1
San Mateo6.7
Cold Spring6.5
Shipman5.5
Drift Fence5.2
Teepe Peak5
Coffee Pot4.3

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Apache Kid Wilderness?

44,678 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Apache Kid Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Apache Kid Wilderness in?

New Mexico.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Apache Kid Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1980.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Apache Kid Wilderness?

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How do I get to Apache Kid Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 33.632, -107.421. El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail is 30 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Apache Kid Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 18 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Apache Kid Wilderness?

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail (30 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.