Pe�a Blanca Wilderness Study Area

The Peña Blanca Wilderness Study Area is located in the south-central portion of New Mexico on the eastern edge of Las Cruces. The Peña Blanca rock shelters are the site of the earliest known cultivated corn in the United States, a primitive variety with eight rows of kernels.Wilderness Study Areas (commonly known as WSAs) are places that have wilderness characteristics; that is a minimum size, naturalness, and outstanding opportunities for recreation which make them eligible for designation as wilderness.Per the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act which became law on March 12, 2019, this web page is currently being updated.