Mount Riley Wilderness
Mount Riley Wilderness is an 8,382-acre wilderness area in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. It rises from about 4,213 to 5,919 ft. The nearest town is Santa Teresa, 21.2 miles away in a straight line.
Mount Riley Wilderness map
Mount Riley Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Agency fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.
Common questions
- Santa Teresa, NM is the nearest town, 21.2 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Mount Riley Wilderness is about 5,919 ft, and its lowest about 4,213 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Cox Peak, about 5,919 ft.
Who manages Mount Riley Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLM | 8,382 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record |
Getting to Mount Riley Wilderness
- Santa Teresa, NM is the nearest town, 21.2 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
- Access roads named on the area's wilderness.net page: Interstate 10, County Road 005, County Road 007.
Position, roads and vehicle notes: wilderness.net page for Mount Riley Wilderness, accessed 2026-09-30. Roads and conditions change; check with the managing office before driving in.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Mount Riley Wilderness
- Cox Peak summit
- Mount Riley summit
- Mesquite Tank lake
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Public lands next to Mount Riley Wilderness
- BLM unitMount Riley Wilderness lies inside Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument.
- Wilderness areaMount Riley Wilderness borders East Potrillo Mountains Wilderness.
- Wilderness areaMount Riley Wilderness borders Potrillo Mountains Wilderness.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in New Mexico
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.