Capitan Mountains

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The Capitan Mountains are a mountain range in Lincoln County, in south-central New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The range is about 20 miles (32 km) long from east to west and about 6 miles (10 km) wide, formed from a large, elongated granite intrusion similar to the round one that produced Carrizo Mountain to the west. The small town of Capitan, on the southwestern side of the mountains, is the location of Smokey Bear Historical Park, which memorializes the famous bear that was rescued from a wildfire in the Capitan Mountains. The highest point in the range is an unnamed peak that reaches 10,201 feet (3139 m), 118 feet (36 m) higher than Capitan Peak. The entirety of the range lies within Lincoln National Forest and is separated from the Sacramento Mountains to the south and Sierra Blanca to the southwest by the valley of Rio Bonito. The Spanish used to use this mountain range as a landmark (due to it being the only East to West mountain range in North America) on their way to and from Santa Fe and rumour has it that there is buried Spanish treasure in some of the numerous caves throughout the mountains.