Cibola National Forest
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The Cibola National Forest stretches from western Oklahoma to western New Mexico. Administered by the USDA's Forest Service, the forest is 2540 mi2 (6578 km2) in size. Elevation ranges from 5,000 – 11,301 ft (1500 – 3445 m).
The Cibola National Forest is organized into the following divisions:
- Black Kettle and McClellan Creek National Grasslands are in the Oklahoma-Texas panhandle region
- Kiowa and Rita Blanca National Grasslands are in Northeastern New Mexico
- Sandia Ranger District is in Central New Mexico comprising:
- the Sandia Mountains including the Sandia Mountain Wilderness and
- the Manzanita Mountains
- Mountainair Ranger District is in Central New Mexico
- Gallinas Mountains and
- Manzano Mountains including the Manzano Mountain Wilderness
- Magdalena Ranger District is in South Central New Mexico comprising:
- the Bear Mountains,
- the Datil Mountains,
- the Magdalena Mountains and
- the San Mateo Mountains including two wilderness areas: Apache Kid and Withington,
- Mount Taylor Ranger District is in Western New Mexico
The Cibola National Grasslands are 412 mi2 (1068 km2) in size.
Cibola biomes range from Chihuahuan desert to short grass prairie to piñon-juniper to sub-alpine spruce and fir. It offers an abundance of commercial and recreational opportunities including grazing, oil/gas, timber, picnicking, camping, skiing, hiking and mountain biking as well as the aerial Sandia Peak Tramway with a restaurant and skiing at the top. The region also boasts wildlife as diverse as the biomes they inhabit.
Animals represented include:
Due to the Rio Grande, a large variety of migrating waterfowl and other birds follow the river's flyway during the spring and fall. Birds of prey are also present using the updrafts and thermals along the north-south alignment of the central mountains for their migration.
