Nature
The Gila Wilderness in southwestern New Mexico is the state’s largest designated wilderness and holds a singular place in conservation history. In 1924, after Aldo Leopold urged that the Gila River headwaters remain roadless and shielded from development, it became the world’s first wilderness area. It later became the first congressionally designated wilderness in the National Wilderness Preservation System under the 1964 Wilderness Act. Spanning rugged river valleys, forests, and mountain peaks, it also preserves a long human story from the Mimbres people to the Chiricahua Apache. Strict protections keep it roadless today, sustaining diverse wildlife and a landscape still notably wild.
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New Mexico · United States
