6 Places You're Most Likely to Encounter a Bear in New Mexico This Winter

Black bears (Ursus americanus) are the only bears you’ll find in New Mexico after the last grizzly bear was killed nearly a century ago. Spotting a black bear in its natural habitat is less common than you’d think, but a once-in-a-lifetime encounter is possible in the wilderness. Keep reading to discover the places you’re most likely to encounter a bear in New Mexico this winter.

Fun Facts About New Mexico’s American Black Bears

• The American black bear is the official state animal of New Mexico.
• The current black bear population in New Mexico is nearly 6,000.
• Black bears are omnivores, meaning they predominantly feed on plants, berries, small rodents, and carrion.
• They’re athletic. They climb trees, swim, and run up to 35 miles per hour.
• The largest recorded black bear caught in New Mexico had a skull measuring almost 22 inches.
• Smokey the Bear, the American icon for preventing wildfires, is based on a three-month-old black bear cub rescued after a fire in the Lincoln National Forest near Capitan in 1950.

Places You’re Most Likely to Encounter a Bear in New Mexico This Winter

In New Mexico, black bears are active from mid-April to mid-November until they enter torpor for five to six months. Torpor is similar to hibernation because it helps animals conserves energy when food is scarce during winter. This period of decreased activity means they still rouse from sleep to give birth or evade danger.

To prepare, black bears eat more nuts and acorns in the fall to store the most fat while they sleep. This way, they don’t have to get up and forage for food. Activity increases when they emerge from their dens in spring with an empty stomach.

Winter black bear sightings become rare once they enter torpor. However, it can still happen. Below are the places you’re most likely to encounter a bear in New Mexico this winter.

1. Red River

One of the places you’re most likely to encounter a bear in New Mexico this winter is the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. More specifically, the mountain town of Red River. It’s a popular tourist destination because of its natural beauty. Trails take hikers, mountain bikers, skiers, and campers on a journey through part of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The Red River and the surrounding lakes and streams are also popular spots for flyfishers.

But humans aren’t the only mammals roaming the mountainside.

Red River is in bear country. You’re most likely to spot them emerging from their dens at the end of winter, searching for food. But they are sleeping nearby.

What’s more, fires can displace bears like the cub found in a dumpster last year. With his home destroyed and no mother to teach him how to forage, he followed his nose to the closest food source until he was rescued.

2. Sandia Mountains

The Sandia Mountains are east of Albuquerque and are the most visited mountains in the state. Many visitors come here to ride the Sandia Peak Tram or enjoy the breathtaking sights of the Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway. But as people spend more time in the mountains, encounters with wildlife become more common.

The Sandia Mountain Natural History Center has been tracking black bear visits in the area for over a decade. The History Center recorded visits at Mud and Paradise – two nearby springs within the Cibola National Forest.

As the springs dried up, bears living in the Sandia Mountains appeared less often, if at all, over the years. They travel farther down the mountain with higher temperatures and less snow every year. Mild winters also mean black bears venture out of their dens earlier. As a result, sightings along trails and nearby towns are more common.

3. Manzano Mountains

The Manzano Mountains are southeast of Albuquerque, just south of the popular Sandia Mountains. Additionally, the Manzano Mountains State Park covers over 10,000 acres and is home to black bears, elk, desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, and other native wildlife. Many of the park’s facilities are closed in winter, but many people still explore the region throughout the off-season.

Similar to the Sandia Mountains, it’s possible to encounter a bear at any moment. Although encounters are more likely to occur from spring to late fall, weather, and habitat changes alter their yearly torpor schedule.

4. Valles Caldera National Preserve

The Valles Caldera National Preserve is most known for the 13-mile-wide volcanic eruption and namesake Valles Caldera in the Jemez Mountains of North Central New Mexico. The beautiful preserve features expansive mountain meadows, flowing streams, and abundant wildlife. Black bears can be tricky to find, but the Valles Caldera National Preserve is one of the places you’re most likely to encounter a bear in New Mexico this winter.

5. Albuquerque

It’s common in Albuquerque and the surrounding foothill towns to see bear activity. However, you’re more likely to see bears in residential areas during spring because plants grow sooner at lower elevations.

Unfortunately, numbers in the surrounding mountain ranges are dwindling as land development takes over the land. As a result, black bear habitats are shrinking and they’re more likely to get relocated or killed if they linger in the area. Bears become aggressive if they feel threatened or are attempting to secure food.

6. Raton

In northeastern New Mexico, south of Raton’s Pass and less than 10 miles from the New Mexico-Colorado border is the city of Raton. Black bears are no stranger to the residents of Raton. In fact, it’s one of the places you’re most likely to encounter a black bear.

Raton is also near the Sugarite Canyon State Park. Here, visitors can expect to encounter mule deer, elk, turkey, and bears. There are even rare mountain lion sightings. Many people visit the park to immerse themselves in the mountain wilderness.

Following safety precautions and utilizing bear-proof trash cans has reduced the number of bear attacks over the last few decades.

How to Help Keep Bears in New Mexico Safe This Winter

Although black bears can be dangerous, they try their best to avoid humans. The most common reason they enter houses and campsites is for food. Once they taste human food, they are likely to return for more. Following the Six Bearwise Basics will help keep you safe and the bears of New Mexico alive.

Summary of the Places You’re Most Likely to Encounter a Bear in New Mexico This Winter

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