The Manzano Mountains are a small mountain range in the central part of the U.S. state of New Mexico . They are oriented north–south and are 30 miles long. The center of the range lies due east of the town of Belen. The name "Manzano" is Spanish for "apple"; the mountains were named for apple orchards planted at the nearby town of Manzano .
7-467: The high point of the Manzano Mountains is Manzano Peak (10,098 ft; 3,078 m), at the southern end of the range. Other notable peaks include flat-topped Bosque Peak (9,610 ft; 2,930 m), near the center of the range, and the twin pyramids of Mosca Peak (9,509 ft; 2,898 m) and Guadalupe Peak (9,450 ft; 2,880 m). The last two are the most easily recognized peaks in
14-569: Is Fourth of July Canyon which is noted for its maple trees , especially when they change color in the Fall. 34°47′N 106°24′W / 34.79°N 106.40°W / 34.79; -106.40 Manzano Peak Manzano Peak is the highest peak in the Manzano Mountains , a mountain range in the central part of the US State of New Mexico . It lies 7 miles (11 km) southwest of
21-571: The "Manzanitas Mountains" and Tijeras Canyon . Both the Manzano and Sandia mountains are capped by Paleozoic sedimentary rocks , with Proterozoic metamorphic rocks making up most of the mountains' steep western faces. These include the Sevilleta metarhyolite , with an age of 1665 ±16 Ma. The southern part of the Manzano Mountains is in the Mountainair Ranger District while much of
28-835: The northern part is in the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest . On September 14, 1977, a USAF Boeing EC-135 crashed into the Manzano Mountains just after takeoff from the Albuquerque International Sunport , killing all 20 people on board. Compared to the Sandias, the Manzanos are much less visited, lacking the paved road and tramway access of their northern neighbors. However, many recreational sites exist, with opportunities for picnicking, camping, mountain biking, and hiking. The most well-known
35-583: The range as viewed from Albuquerque. Manzano Peak and Guadalupe Peak are the most dramatic in the range in terms of local relief and steepness; however, there are few cliffs in the range, as compared to the more dramatic Sandia Mountains . Manzano Peak and the crest and western slopes of the range are included in the Manzano Wilderness which comprises 36,875 acres (14,923 ha) and is 17 miles (27 km) north to south and 3–5 miles (4.8–8.0 km) east-west. There are 64 miles (103 km) of trails in
42-610: The town of Manzano and 18 miles (29 km) east-southeast of the town of Belen , in the Manzano Wilderness Area, part of the Mountainair Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest . It forms the striking southern anchor of the range, rising 3,900 feet (1,189 m) in 3 miles (5 km) above its western base. The summit is below the tree line , but has views to the east, south, and west. Manzano Peak can be accessed via trail number 80 (the Kayser Trail), leading to
49-637: The wilderness, including the 22 mile Crest Trail which traverses the highest part of the range. The Manzano Mountains are the southern part of a larger geologic unit known as the Sandia–Manzano Mountains , which are an east-tilted fault-block range forming part of the eastern edge of the Albuquerque Basin in the Rio Grande rift . They are separated from the Sandia Mountains to the north by
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