Empedrado Wilderness Study Area

About Empedrado Wilderness Study Area

The Empedrado WSA is characterized by deep arroyos, highly sculpted mesas, canyons, and sandstone and shale outcrops. This area is easily traveled by horseback. Nesting sites for golden eagles, prairie falcon, great horned owl, red-tailed hawk, and raven are found on sandstone cliffs. Vegetation includes grama grass, cactus and Knight’s milevetch. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail passes through this WSA.

How to Get There

From San Ysidro, NM, drive US 550 about 18 miles north to the junction with NM 279. A green highway sign labeled, "San Luis-Cabezon" marks NM 279. Drive west on 279, a paved road, through the small village of San Luis, after which the road turns to gravel and dirt. Travel on this dirt road approximately 13 miles, crossing the bridge over the Chico Arroyo, until the road splits – NM 279 continues south to Guadalupe and BLM Road 1103 begins here and continues to the right. Travel on 1103 about one mile to CR 25 which splits to the right. Travel about 1ј mile on CR 25 to where the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) enters the WSA on the northeast side of the road. Though there is no trailhead, you will see trail signs with the CDT emblem. The trail is marked by cairns; there is no trail tread.

Plan Your Visit to Empedrado Wilderness Study Area

Heading to Empedrado 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)