BLM · New Mexico

Sabinoso Wilderness

The Sabinoso Wilderness is in a remote area of the northeastern portion of New Mexico. The wilderness is located in the short-grass prairie region of the Great Plains along the Canadian Escarpment where...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Sabinoso Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateNew Mexico
Size29,242 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated2009, by Congress
Center point35.6360, -104.5765
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 20)

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 Sabinoso Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.40 inches of precipitation, 4.2 inches of snowFebruary: 0.60 inches of precipitation, 4.7 inches of snowMarch: 0.69 inches of precipitation, 3.4 inches of snowApril: 0.79 inches of precipitation, 2.4 inches of snowMay: 1.50 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJune: 1.71 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 3.07 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.75 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.10 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.21 inches of precipitation, 0.8 inches of snowNovember: 0.53 inches of precipitation, 2.7 inches of snowDecember: 0.52 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 32.7°F averageFebruary: 35.4°F averageMarch: 41.4°F averageApril: 48.1°F averageMay: 56.5°F averageJune: 65.6°F averageJuly: 69.9°F averageAugust: 68.0°F averageSeptember: 61.5°F averageOctober: 51.3°F averageNovember: 40.9°F averageDecember: 32.8°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Valmora, 23 miles from the center point at 6,325 feet, station USC00299330 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 16 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 24 inches a year on the same inches scale.

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.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-18
  • Wildfire
    Rendia

    12 mi from the center point · 117 acres

  • Wildfire
    Cr

    16 mi from the center point · 240 acres

  • Wildfire
    Shell City

    17 mi from the center point · 136 acres

  • Wildfire
    Limestone

    19 mi from the center point · 120 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Register listings within 15 miles · 1 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Sabinoso Wilderness?

29,242 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Sabinoso Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Sabinoso Wilderness in?

New Mexico.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Sabinoso Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2009.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Sabinoso 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 Sabinoso Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 35.636, -104.576. Fort Union National Monument is 27 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Sabinoso Wilderness right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Rendia at 12 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Sabinoso Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 20 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Sabinoso Wilderness?

Fort Union National Monument (27 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Sabinoso Wilderness?

1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Variadero Bridge.

Source: Register Atlas

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.
  • 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.