Robledo Mountains facts for kids
.jpg)
The Robledo Mountains are a mountain range located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. They are found just northwest of the city of Las Cruces. These mountains are made of very old rocks from the Paleozoic Era. They were pushed up from the ground on the west side of the Rio Grande Rift, which is a large crack in the Earth's crust.
Who Were the Robledos?
The mountains get their name from a person named Pedro Robledo. He was an explorer who traveled with Juan de Oñate in 1598. Oñate's group was on an expedition to settle the upper Rio Grande valley.
Pedro Robledo sadly died on May 21, 1598, and was buried near the mountains. He was the first person to die during Oñate's journey. Pedro Robledo was from Toledo, Spain, and he traveled with his wife and five children.
Ancient Footprints and Fossils
The Robledo Mountains are famous for their amazing ancient footprints! These footprints were made by animals that lived during the Permian period. This was a very long time ago, even before the dinosaurs.
In 2009, a special area here became the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. It was the 100th active national monument in the United States. This monument protects many examples of these ancient tracks.
You can find footprints from many different creatures here. Some of the animals that left their marks include:
- Dimetrodon
- Edaphosaurus
- Eryops
- Cacops
There are also tracks from many other small creatures called pelycosaurs. These fossils help scientists learn about life on Earth millions of years ago.
Robledo Mountains Wilderness
A large part of the Robledo Mountains is protected as the Robledo Mountains Wilderness. The U.S. Congress created this wilderness area in 2019. It helps to protect the unique plants and animals of the Chihuahuan Desert.
This wilderness area covers about 16,776 acres. It has many different natural features. You can find deep canyons, tall cliffs, interesting caves, and small creeks. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management takes care of this special place.
