White Mountain Wilderness is a 46,963-acre protected high-country landscape in the Sierra Blanca mountains of south-central New Mexico, managed within Lincoln National Forest. First established by Congress as a primitive area in 1933, it entered the National Wilderness Preservation System after the Wilderness Act of 1964 and was enlarged in 1980 to its present size. Its terrain ranges from steep western slopes to broader eastern canyons, rising from 6,400 to 11,580 feet through several forest zones. Limited water shapes travel and wildlife, including deer, elk, black bear, and notable bird species. Closed to mechanized transport, it is used chiefly for hiking, horseback riding, backpacking, and primitive camping on an extensive trail network.