Owing to winter road and campground closures, almost all records for the northern San Mateo Mountains are during the 5 months of May through September. Species frequently found here include Common Nighthawk, Common Poorwill, Mexican Whip-poor-will, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Flammulated Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, Plumbeous Vireo, Clark’s Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglet, Grace’s Warbler, and Red-faced Warbler. American Goshawk has been listed on multiple occasions within the San Mateos.

Ranch Supplies Canyon is named after the historic ranch that used to supply goods and services to the nearby communities. Visitors can explore the remnants of the ranch buildings and learn about the history of the area.

Cibola National Forest covers more than 1.6 million acres and includes mountains, grasslands, wilderness, and forests. The name Cibola comes from the Zuni word for their tribal lands, which the Spanish later translated as "buffalo". The forest is home black bears, cougars, elk, and pronghorn. Cibola National Forest offers many recreational opportunities including hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and skiing. It also has cultural and historical significance, as it contains ancient Native American sites and historic trails.

The National Forest has four ranger districts: Sandia, Mountainair, Magdalena, and Mount Taylor. In addition, the Cibola has four wilderness areas: Sandia Mountain, Manzano Mountain, Withington, and Apache Kid.