Manzano, NM - Manzano Mountains State Park, which has been closed since May 20, 2011 when the Cibola National Forest was closed due to high fire danger, will not reopen in 2012.
 
“We realize that Manzano Mountains State Park offers a quality recreational experience,” says State Parks Division Director Tommy Mutz. “However, we have made the decision not to restaff the park this upcoming season. The threat of wildfire and future potential closures of adjacent recreation areas is uncertain and we are not in a position to re-assign staff and resources to Manzano from other locations.”
 
Manzano Mountains State Park was closed May 20, 2011 due to extreme fire danger. During the closure period, the park staff was re-assigned to other locations within State Parks. State Parks decided to leave the park closed when the fire danger decreased late in summer of 2011 because it was too late in the season to reopen it.
 
As an alternative, the United States Forest Service offers several recreational opportunities in the Manzano area, such as the Red Canyon Campground, only three miles west of Manzano Mountains State Park. For more information on United States Forest Service recreation areas in the Manzano area, telephone the Cibola National Forest, Mountainair Ranger District at 505-847-2990, or visit them on the internet at www.fs.usda.gov/cibola/.