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West Potrillo Mountains facts for kids

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West Potrillo Mountains
Mount Riley WSA (9500815027).jpg
Highest point
Peak Cox Peak
Elevation 5,957 ft (1,816 m)
Dimensions
Length 25 mi (40 km) NNE-SSW
Geography
Country United States
State New Mexico
County Doña Ana
Range coordinates 31°52′N 107°0′W / 31.867°N 107.000°W / 31.867; -107.000
Borders on Interstate 10-N
Rio Grande Valley-E
East Potrillo Mountains-S
Geology
Type of rock Maar volcanoes, cinder cones, basalt outflows

The West Potrillo Mountains are a cool mountain range in south central Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. They are about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of El Paso, Texas. They are also about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Most of these mountains are part of the Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument. This land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. You can reach the area by taking Doña Ana County Road B-4 South from NM 549. You can get to NM 549 from Interstate 10 Exit 116.

What Are the West Potrillo Mountains Like?

The West Potrillo Mountains are part of the Potrillo volcanic field. This is a huge area of dark volcanic rock called basalt. It covers about 400 square miles (1,000 km²).

Besides the West Potrillo Mountains, this volcanic field also includes:

This area has hundreds of volcanic features. These include maars (volcanic craters), spatter cones, and cinder cones. The most common peaks in the West Potrillos are cinder cones. They are usually between 93 and 435 feet (28 to 133 meters) tall. These cones have not been worn down much by weather. Scientists think they are between 262 and 916 million years old. Some features, like Aden Crater, might be as young as 20,000 years old.

The rocks here are very different. Some non-volcanic layers are from the Paleozoic to the Holocene eras. Long ago, seas covered this area many times. They left behind marine deposits like carbonates. Later, during the Laramide disturbance, rocks in the nearby East Potrillo Mountains folded and faulted. This area has been above sea level since the Cretaceous period.

Weather in the West Potrillo Mountains

The West Potrillo Mountains are in the Chihuahuan Desert. This means the climate is very dry. It's also a continental climate, which means it has hot summers and cold winters.

Here's what the weather is usually like, based on records from nearby El Paso, Texas:

  • The average high temperature for the year is about 77.3 degrees Fahrenheit (25.2°C).
  • The average low temperature is about 50.1 degrees Fahrenheit (10.1°C).
  • The hottest month is June, with average highs around 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.6°C).
  • The coldest month is January, with average lows around 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1.1°C).

The area gets about 8.81 inches (22.4 cm) of rain each year. Most of this rain falls in summer, from June to September. Sometimes, it can even snow in the winter!

Plants and Animals of the West Potrillo Mountains

The West Potrillos are home to many desert plants and animals. The main plant areas are Chihuahuan desert scrublands, creosotebush desert, and desert grasslands.

Plants

Some common shrubs you'll see include:

Common grasses found here are:

Animals

You might spot these mammals:

Birds flying overhead include:

Reptiles crawling around are:

And amphibians you might find are:

Who Lived Here? A Look at Human History

People have lived in the West Potrillos for a very long time! Archeologists have found signs of at least three main periods of human use.

Early Hunters: The Paleo-Indian Period

The first period was the Paleo-Indian period. It started around 9,500 BCE and ended about 6,000 BCE. During this time, people were mobile hunters. They hunted large animals. This period had different groups, like the Clovis, Folsom, and Plano cultures.

Hunters and Gatherers: The Archaic Period

Around 6000 BCE, the Desert Archaic cultures moved into the area. They stayed until about 100 CE. These people were hunters and gatherers. They also started to grow some plants.

Farmers and Traders: The Mogollon Culture

From about 200 CE to 1450 CE, the Mogollon culture became important. During this time, farming became the main way people got food. They also started making pottery. People began living in villages and built homes above ground. They even traded with people from other areas.

Apache People in the Area

Around 1540, the ancestors of the Apaches moved into the area. They became the main group living there. The Chiricahua Apache people continued to live in the area until about 1890.

Cool Places to See and Things to Do

The Potrillo Mountains Wilderness was created in 2019 by the U.S. Congress. It's huge, covering 105,085 acres! This makes it the 4th largest wilderness area in New Mexico.

Some of the highest points in the range are:

  • Cox Peak (5,957 feet or 1,816 meters)
  • Mt. Riley (5,909 feet or 1,801 meters)
  • Potrillo Peak
  • Guzman Lookout Mountain

People use this area for different activities like:

  • Ranching
  • Bird hunting
  • Camping
  • Hiking
  • Foot-launched aviation (like paragliding and hang gliding)

However, many campers and hikers choose other places. This is because there are not many trails here. Also, finding reliable water can be difficult. The Bureau of Land Management takes care of this wilderness area.

Amazing Fossil Find

In 1928, something really cool was found in Aden Crater. It was a fossilized ground sloth (Nothrotheriops shastensis)! It was found in a fumarole, which is a vent that releases gases from the Earth. Scientists estimated it was about 11,000 years old. This amazing fossil is now at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.

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