Mountains

Salinas Pueblo Missions is situated at the foot of the Manzano Mountains. The name "Manzano" is derived from the Spanish word for "apples," which is "manzanas." It is thought that both the small Hispanic village and the surrounding mountains were named after the old orchards that once thrived in the area. These orchards are believed to have been planted by Franciscan priests in the early 1600s, although the actual trees found there date back to no earlier than the 1800s.

The Manzano Mountain range has elevations ranging from 6,000 feet in the foothills to 10,098 feet at Manzano Peak. The lower areas are filled with pinyon-juniper woodlands, while the higher elevations are home to mixed conifer forests. The landscape is steep and rugged, featuring canyons and rocky outcrops throughout.

Covering approximately 112,000 acres, the Manzano Mountains are managed by the Mountainair Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest. This mountain range is long and narrow, extending north and south. The land gradually rises from the Estancia Valley in the east to about 8,000 feet before sharply climbing to the ridgeline. On the western side, the terrain drops steeply into the uplands of the Rio Grande Valley.