Oscura Mountains

To the west, dropping off sharply from the crest of the Oscuras, the austere desert of the Jornada del Muerto (Spanish: Dead Man's Journey) has an average elevation of about 5,000 ft (1,500 m).

The Tularosa Basin to the east also has an average elevation of about 5,000 ft (1,500 m)[2][4] The Oscura Mountains are located within the White Sands Missile Range and public access is restricted.

The Trinity site, the location of the first test of an atomic bomb in 1945, is 11 km (6.8 miles) northwest of Oscura Peak.

Average maximum temperatures at North Oscura peak, elevation 7,976 ft (2,431 m), are from 27.3 °C (81.1 °F) in June to 5.2 °C (41.4 °F) in January.

Chaparral consisting mostly of shrub live oak and grassland dominated by blue gramma is found at low to mid elevations.