About Cinder Cone Wilderness Area
The Cinder Cone Wilderness is part of the Greater Potrillo Mountains Complex, located approximately 30 miles southwest of Las Cruces adjacent to the border with Mexico. This wilderness features an extremely high concentration of cinder cones giving evidence of its past volcanic history. Chihuahuan Desert grassland and yucca, in association with a mosaic of other desert shrubs such as creosote, acacia, and mesquite, make up the majority of the plant cover in the area. Isolated clumps of netleaf hackberry and other desert trees are found in the lava flow where depressions or deeper pockets of soil hold extra water after rainfall. Occasional juniper trees are also found on mountain slopes and in larger drainages. Summer monsoon rains bring extensive stands of wildflowers in this area includin
Things to do
When to go
Weather data & source
Each figure averages the highlighted months. 2018–2023 averages, not a forecast. Wet days estimate days with at least 1 mm of rain or snow using a calibrated ERA5 threshold. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (AWS Open Data, CC BY 4.0). ERA5 via Open-Meteo AWS Open Data
Plan your visit
Cinder Cone Wilderness Area is managed by Bureau of Land Management. Check current conditions, permits, and reservations before you go.
See it on Recreation.gov →