Last month, the state of New Mexico received a gift from the Obama administration in the form of a new national monument that recognizes the Organ Mountains as a place of national importance, ensuring that nearly 500,000 acres of pristine mountain ecosystem and the history contained within will be protected indefinitely.
Spanning 85 miles of the state’s southwestern region, the Organ Mountains are primarily comprised of igneous rock, unlike the sedimentary composition of the neighboring San Andreas and Franklin Mountain ranges. The granite rock formations in the section of the Organ Mountains known as The Needles are actually what gives this range its name: the spires that stretch toward the sky are similar in appearance to the pipes of a pipe organ.
But it’s not just the impressive geology of the Organ Mountains that make them worthy of being a national monument — this region is the most botanically diverse in all of New Mexico. Roughly 870 species of vascular plants flourish here, including 30 different species of ferns, and the contingent of plants varies drastically between sections of the range.
Hiking and climbing are among the most popular activities here, with a variety of trails accessible from four areas of the range. Take a look at this beautiful footage of America’s most recently created national monument to instantly see why their protection and preservation is of the utmost importance.
Image via mypubliclands
