Created in 1980, the Dome Wilderness is located in the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest. At only 5,200 acres, it is one of the smallest wilderness areas in the western United States. 

In 1996, most of the northern portion of the Dome Wilderness, (along with thousands of acres of Bandelier National Monument) was burned in the Dome Fire, the result of an incompletely extinguished campfire. Then in 2011, a downed power line started the 150,000-acre Las Conchas Fire, which swept through the area near this hotspot.  

The 5,280-acre Dome Wilderness was designated by Congress in 1980. One of the smallest wilderness areas in the United States, the Dome Wilderness is bordered to the east by the larger Bandelier Wilderness on the National Park Service’s Bandelier National Monument. In spite of its relatively small acreage, the Dome Wilderness is a key part of an impressive wilderness complex and delivers rugged terrain, habitat for wildlife, diverse vegetation that includes wildflowers and wild strawberries, and numerous archaeological sites, including ruins similar to the ones found at Bandelier. Please respect the cultural significance of archaeological sites by leaving them undisturbed.

In 1996, the human-caused Dome Fire burned 16,500 acres, including large portions of the Dome Wilderness and Bandelier National Monument. In 2011, a downed power line started the 150,000-acre Las Conchas Fire which swept through the wilderness. Much of the Dome Wilderness is still recovering from these devastating wildfires.

Elevations peak at 8,200 feet, then drop to 5,800 feet at Sanchez Canyon. High points near Saint Peter’s Dome (which is actually not within the wilderness boundaries) provide sweeping vistas to the Caja del Rio Plateau and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and the Sandia Mountains to the south.

The Santa Fe National Forest is 1.6 million acres of mountains, valleys and mesas ranging from 5,000 to 13,000 feet in elevation. Visitors find forested mountains slopes, colorful volcanic formations, deep river gorges and primitive wilderness. Thousands of cultural and archaeological sites reflect the Santa Fe National Forest's rich historical heritage and the many cultures that value this landscape.

The Santa Fe National Forest has a number of special places, including wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, a national recreation area and scenic byways.

There are four wilderness areas on the forest. They cover almost 300,000 acres. Wilderness areas provide primitive recreation options. 

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was passed by Congress in 1968 to protect outstanding free-flowing rivers.There are three wild and scenic rivers on the Forest: the Rio Chama, Pecos, and East Fork of the Jemez. 

National recreation areas (NRAs) were established by Congress to preserve enhanced recreational opportunities in places with significant natural and scenic resources. NRAs emphasize a variety of activities for visitors, including hiking, camping, boating, fishing, swimming, biking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing, in areas that include multiple-use management focused on conservation and limited utilization of natural resources. The Jemez National Recreation Area (JNRA), the only NRA in the Forest Service Southwestern Region, was designated by Congress in 1993 to conserve its recreational, natural and cultural resources. 

The National Scenic Byways Program is a collaborative effort administered by the Federal Highway Administration that recognizes special roadways for their outstanding and unique historic, cultural, natural, archaeological, recreational and scenic qualities. The Santa Fe National Forest has two Scenic and Historic Byways.

The Dome Wilderness has miles of hiking trails, including the Saint Peter’s Dome Trail, the Capulin Trail, and the Turkey Springs Trail. The Saint Peter’s Dome Trail (6.1 miles) starting on the north end near the Dome Fire Lookout is a good access point to the wilderness. It drops in elevation as it runs south past canyon walls and above sweeping vistas, then across Sanchez Creek, a fishless stream that often has very low or no water at all.

The Alamo Springs Trail (#114) lies northeast of the hotspot.