Cooke's Range Wilderness Study Area

About Cooke's Range Wilderness Study Area

The Cooke's Range WSA is located in southern New Mexico about 60 miles from Las Cruces. The central feature in the WSA is Cooke's Peak, which rises over 3,600 feet above the surrounding plains. The northern portion is extremely rugged while the southern portion is rolling and includes open hills cut by deep canyons. Vegetation consists of piсon and juniper woodlands as well as mixed desert shrubs. The cliffs in the higher elevations provide nesting sites for birds of prey. Mogollon style petroglyphs are found at Frying Pan Spring.

How to Get There

From Interstate-10 at Deming, NM (approximately 61 miles west of Las Cruces), exit onto Hwy 180 North. Drive on Hwy 180 North for about 3 ј miles and turn right onto Keeler Rd NW/County Rd A008. Continue north on Keeler Rd NW/CR A008 for approximately 12 miles and you will reach the western border of the WSA. The WSA is on your right for the next 2 ѕ miles.

Plan Your Visit to Cooke's Range Wilderness Study Area

Heading to Cooke's Range Wilderness Study Area? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• Park map (PDF)
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)