Wheeler Peak is the highest peak in the state of New Mexico in the United States, with an elevation of 13,161 feet (4,012 m). It is located in the northern part of the state, northeast of Taos. It lies in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains.

Named in honor of Major George Montague Wheeler (1832 - 1909) who for ten years led a party of surveyors and naturalists collecting geologic, biologic, planimetric and topographic data in New Mexico and six other southwestern states. The mountain was formerly called Taos Peak, after the nearby town of Taos, New Mexico.

Nearby peaks and features

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Just north of Wheeler Peak is Mount Walter (13,141 feet/4,005 m), which is the second highest named summit in New Mexico, but is not usually considered an independent peak, as it has only about 80 feet of topographic prominence. It is sometimes mistaken for Wheeler Peak, since it is along the standard route to Wheeler. Lake Fork Peak (12,881 feet/3,926 m) lies just across Williams Lake to the west of Wheeler.

The Taos Ski Valley lies just to the northwest of Wheeler Peak, while both the town of Taos and Taos Pueblo lie about 15 miles (24 km) to the southwest.

Wheeler Peak is the focus of the small Wheeler Peak Wilderness. Much of the mountain area just south of the peak is on Taos Pueblo land.

Climbing

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The standard route on Wheeler Peak is a hike along the north ridge. The route starts at the parking lot for Taos Ski Valley, and proceeds east along an old road to a broad saddle at Bull-of-the-Woods Meadow. It then turns south and winds its way among minor peaks and small valleys to gain Wheeler Peak from the north, going over the summit of Mount Walter along the way. This is a practical route even in winter, due to low (but nonzero) avalanche exposure.

An alternate route is to hike south from Taos Ski Valley to Williams Lake, and then climb directly up the 2000 foot (610 m) west flank of the mountain. This is more direct than the standard route but involves a great deal of climbing on unpleasantly loose scree.

External links

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• Wheeler Peak on summitpost.org
• Wheeler Peak on Topozone

Access

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From June 26 to July 7, 2006, drought conditions and wildfire danger forced authorities to close Wheeler Peak and surrounding areas to the public. Read the press releases here:

Closure: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/news/2006/6_23_06_stage3_restrictions.shtml

Reopening: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/news/2006/7_5_06_fire_restrictions_lowered.shtml

Mountains of New Mexico