The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area of New Mexico managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located in the Chihuahuan desert 20 miles north of Socorro, New Mexico. The Rio Salado flows through the refuge.HistoryThe area that is now the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge was inhabited by the Piro Pueblo prior to Spanish arrival in 1598 in what is now the southwestern part of the United States. El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, which passed through the area, was the main transportation route from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Mexico City, Mexico.In 1680, Governor Antonio de Otermin of Santa Fe retreated through the area to El Paso during the Pueblo Revolt. By this time, the Piro Pueblo, as well as many other Pueblos, were already abandoned due to Spaniard encroachment.After the Piro were gone, the Spanish built a military post called "New Sevilla" on the site. This post became an important stop on El Camino Real and was at various times named "Joya de Sevilleta" and "La Jolla,".
