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Wheeler Peak is the focus of the 19,661-acre (79.57 km 2) Wheeler Peak Wilderness area in the Carson National Forest. Much of the mountain area just south of the peak is on Taos Pueblo land. Some 48,000 acres (190 km 2 ) was returned to the pueblo from the Carson National Forest in 1970 [ 4 ] and another 764 acres (3.09 km 2 ) in 1996.
Established as the Wheeler Peak Wild Area in 1960, [1] 6,051 acres (2,449 ha) the area was re-designated the Wheeler Peak Wilderness in 1964 with the passage of the Wilderness Act. The area was expanded by 14,700 acres (5,900 ha) in 1980 with the passage of the New Mexico Wilderness Act. [ 2 ]
Also, Boundary Peak is less than 1 mile (1.6 km) away from its higher neighbor, while Wheeler Peak is over 230 miles from the nearest higher peak. [ 2 ] By contrast the prominence of Wheeler Peak, at 7,563 feet (2,305 m), is the twelfth largest in the contiguous United States . [ 16 ]
With a total area of 121,590 square miles (314,900 km 2), [1] New Mexico is the fifth-largest state, after Alaska, Texas, California, and Montana. Its eastern border lies along 103°W longitude with the state of Oklahoma , and 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometres) west of 103°W longitude with Texas (due to a 19th-century surveying error).
Winters are cool and summers are mild to hot. Weather can change quickly, especially in the back country or on Wheeler Peak at high elevations. [28] Lehman Caves maintain a fairly constant temperature of 50 °F (10 °C) with 90% humidity year round. [29] The climate varies throughout the park, depending on elevation and location.
To the north of this peak is an unusual formation, a flat plateau of sub-alpine tundra called "The Table", covering about 2 square miles (5.2 km 2) at an elevation of 11,000 feet (3,400 m). A grove of ancient Great Basin Bristlecone Pines grows on this plateau near the peak.
The byway encircles Wheeler Peak (13,161 feet (4,011 m)) of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is the tallest mountain in New Mexico. It is the tallest mountain in New Mexico. The scenic byway passes through historic towns, alongside lakes and streams, and near ski resorts and recreational parks.
Wheeler Peak may refer to the following United States summits: Wheeler Peak, California, in the Sweetwater Mountains; Wheeler Peak (Mono County, California), on the Wheeler Crest; Wheeler Peak (Nevada) - highest summit of the Snake Range; Wheeler Peak (New Mexico) - highest summit of the Taos Mountains and in the State of New Mexico