Ladrón Peak is an isolated mountain in central New Mexico whose steep rise and height above the Rio Grande Valley make it a striking landmark. Though it resembles a volcano, it is actually an igneous intrusion with a Precambrian granite core. The Sierra Ladrones has long been associated with concealment and refuge, used by Navajo and Apache raiding parties and later by Hispanic and Anglo rustlers. People have occupied the area for more than 10,000 years, including later Mogollon and Ancestral Puebloan peoples. The peak is also a sky island, supporting coniferous forest and wildlife not found in the surrounding grasslands.