The Sierra Blanca is a range of volcanic mountains in Lincoln and Otero counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of New Mexico. The range is about from north to south and wide.Sierra Blanca Peak is the highest mountain in the range at. It is southern New Mexico's highest peak, as well as the most prominent and the 40th highest in the entire state. The peak is located on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, approximately west-northwest of Ruidoso and north-northeast of Alamogordo.GeographyThe majority of the Sierra Blanca range is within the Lincoln National Forest, and part of this is protected as the White Mountain Wilderness Area. Much of the southern half of the range, including the summit of Sierra Blanca Peak, is within the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. The peak is sacred to the Mescalero Apache, and requires a permit from the tribe for access. To the south, across the valley of the Rio Tularosa, lie the Sacramento Mountains. To the north is Carrizozo Mountain, and to the northeast lie the Capitan Mountains. On the west side, the range rises high above the Tularosa Basin.
