New Mexico – Valles Caldera National Preserve
Valles Caldera is a National Preserve in Northwest New Mexico, known for its expansive meadows and wildlife. It is one of the newer national preserves and truly embraces preservation, which means you can expect to experience nature nearly alone and see the abundant wildlife. We visited a friend of mine (Alison – she is in the Belize photos!) who had a six-month internship helping to track the plant life in the park and took us around. It is a beautiful and calming destination and a worthwhile stop to get away from the crowds at other national parks.
This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The commissions help support Moderately Adventurous stay alive and kicking. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
What is Valles Caldera?
Valles Caldera formed when a supervolcano erupted over a million years ago and left a 13-mile wide depression. The name comes from the juxtaposition of large grassland meadows, or valles in Spanish, surrounded by rounded forest covered volcanic domes provides the distinctive natural landscape. With most of the Preserve over 8,000 feet, it is an excellent place to view high-elevation ecosystems. The temperatures were a relief from the desert summer road trip we were on.
Various ranchers owned the area of Valles Caldera from 1876 until the the acquisition of the land by the National Park Service in the 1980’s. Now the National Preserve aims to undo damage from ranching and logging done to the land. The website calls it a preserve in recovery. I am overjoyed to see the work they are doing and to the untrained eye, it seems to be working. Or at least, it is a beautiful protected land for us to wander in peace.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, would definitely go back
- Intensity: Hiking wear
- Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Cost: Free – fee is being waived at this time
- Restrooms: There may be some at the entrance building
- Timing: I think we spent around 3 hours here
Highlights:
- Beautiful expansive Preserve with enormous meadows
- Wildlife spotting
- Limited backcountry permits means you get to be truly alone with nature
- See the creation of a National Preserve
How to Explore the Preserve
I recommend going into your visit at Valles Caldera recognizing that it is a preserve and not a National Park. National Parks allow for a limited and easy introduction into nature with bathrooms, paved roads, and maintained trails. Valles Caldera is a little more rough with not as much infrastructure in place. Although you can see a lot from the main entrance building, you will need a backcountry permit to drive deeper into the preserve. There are 35 backcountry permits (one per vehicle) allowed per day at a first-come, first-served basis. Get there before 10 or 11 am, if you want to ensure you can get a permit. It is easy enough to get a permit, but be sure to listen to their instructions as they will ask you to return the permits.
Taking a Hike
We decided to take a short hike to explore Valles Caldera. This entailed getting a vehicle permit for the day then driving along the rough dirt road. Although you can see the largest valley from the paved road, it is so lovely to get another perspective of the expansive meadows and tree-covered hill tops. For our hike, we opted to circle the Cerros Del Abrigo.
With a higher elevation, there was some heavy breathing involved pretty much right off the bat. We walked along what used to be a ranching road. Although there are a couple sign posts and an outhouse you pass, the trail itself is not maintained. There was a fire a few years back, started by a lightning Downed trees, branches, and bushes everywhere make it slow, but exciting. Being on a non-maintained trail, I realized the privilege that it was to have all the nice trails in the national parks. At one point, we saw a large group of elk pass through the trees and directly up the hill we were on. The steep incline didn’t seem to bother them as they quickly crossed the path.
We didn’t do the full circle, but the views from a higher vantage point were lovely. We could see across the one of the valleys toward the Valle Grande. There were two other cars parked where we were, but we never saw another soul during our hike.
Pack this for a hike in valles caldera
Other Things to Do at Valles Caldera
The main competition for backcountry permits are by fishermen in the early morning. Fly fishing for trout is popular activity in the streams that meander through the preserve. You can also mountain bike along the designated roads. Camping is available in the park, but not with many amenities. In winter, snow shoeing and cross-country skiing are popular activities.
Do note the weather changes quickly at the higher elevations. We visited in early August, which was the middle of the Monsoon season (lasts mid-June to mid-September) and has consistent afternoon thunderstorms. Sure enough, both days we were in the area there was a thunderstorm and a downpour of rain at about 2 pm, like clockwork. You can which photos were taken before the others based on the number of clouds in the photo. In the winter, Valles Caldera sees plenty of snow. The cold settles into the lowest parts of the meadows and stays below freezing, making it impossible for the trees to grow. Check the weather before heading in that direction.
Wildlife Spotting
In addition to the Elk, we saw a coyote, badger, and of course the Gunnison Prairie Dogs. The Prairie Dogs are so freaking adorable! I could watch them for hours as they go about their business. Besides the Prairie Dogs, we didn’t go out of our way to view wildlife, yet there they were. It is the most wildlife I’ve seen in a National Park that acted like wildlife (not begging for foods, etc.) and were easy to spot. This is a testament to the good work that the Preserve is doing.
Getting There
We drove to Valles Caldera National Preserve using googlemaps. It was about an hour or 1.5 hour drive to the Preserve from Santa Fe through very beautiful mountains. For detailed directions, you can take a look on the National Park Service website. The address is:
39201 New Mexico Highway 4
Jemez Springs, NM 87025
Overall Thoughts: Valles Caldera National Preserve
Valles Caldera is a hidden gem in the mountains of New Mexico. It is serene and beautiful with an abundance of wildlife. I loved that Alison worked for the preserve, which gave me an excuse to check it out. The meadows paired with the afternoon puffy clouds and adorable prairie dogs make for a memorable trip to New Mexico. It will be very interesting to see the continued recovery of the land and how that information could heal other areas.
I was pleasantly surprised by the varied landscapes in New Mexico and ever since I have heard about the great skiing conditions in the state. I cannot wait to go back and explore some more. Any recommendations of what I should check out next? Let me know in the comments what you’ve done in New Mexico!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
A comprehensive trail guide to to VCNP was recently published: “Hiking Trails in Valles Caldera National Preserve,” by Coco Rae. You can learn about it here: https://vcnp-trails.com/.
Hi Coco, thanks for sharing! Valles Caldera is such a hidden gem and I hope your guide helps people find more trails to explore beyond the Abrigo trail that I discuss in this post. Happy Travels!