Bosque del Apache Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness within Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico, about 16 miles south of Socorro. Established in 1975 and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it covers 30,427 acres in three separate units: Little San Pascual, Chupadera, and Indian Well. The surrounding refuge, created in 1939 along the Rio Grande, protects a major migration stop for waterfowl, especially sandhill cranes and geese, and also supports ducks, mule deer, coyotes, and wild javelina. Closed to motorized vehicles, bicycles, and horses, the wilderness is open to day use and hiking, including two developed recreation trails.