This self-guided driving tour leads visitors through Valles Caldera National Preserve's front-country and backcountry road system. As you go, your smartphone will recommend various stops at photo locations, geologic features, and historic structures, all while sharing interesting information about each stop.
3-4 Hours
Since the 1100s CE, Valles Caldera has been at the center of Hemish (Pueblo of Jemez) religion, culture, and history. During this self-guided tour, you will hear about the special connections between the Hemish people and the Valles Caldera landscape from Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Christopher Toya, traditional religious leader Brophy Toledo, and cultural resources leaders Byron Andrew and Mark Magdalena.
2-3 Hours
This self-guided tour in the National Park Service smartphone app leads hikers around Cerro La Jara, which is Valles Caldera's youngest and smallest lava dome. As you hike, geologist Dr. Linda Pickett will share snippets of fascinating information about the landscape around you and answer the most common questions about the park's geology.
1-2 Hours
The Cabin District stands as a reminder of the ranching legacy at Valles Caldera. This self-guided audio tour walks through a day in the life of a ranch worker, stopping by each historic structure and explaining its significance to the ranching operation that persisted here for nearly 100 years.
30-60 Minutes
This self-guided tour in the National Park Service smartphone app leads hikers to Sulphur Springs, a unique geothermal area at Valles Caldera National Preserve. As you hike, refer to your smartphone for recommended stops at mudpots, fumaroles, and hot springs that you may otherwise miss.
1-2 Hours
The Cabin District Trail is a short and gentle route traversing the historic ranch headquarters for Baca Land & Cattle Company. Interpretive signs along the trail describe each building and its purpose in the ranching operation that persisted here for nearly a century.
30-60 Minutes
The Cerro Del Medio Loop is 13.8 miles (22.2 km) round-trip and combines 4 different trails within Valles Caldera: Obsidian Valley Trail, Posos Trail, Rincon Trail, and East Valle Grande Trail. Although the trail is long, it is very nearly flat and may be hiked in either direction. Excellent opportunities for elk sightings.
7-8 Hours
The Valles Caldera Entrance Road is a scenic, four-mile-long gravel road through the heart of Valle Grande. This drive offers outstanding wildlife viewing opportunities, volcanic vistas, and several places to get out and explore on foot.
30-90 Minutes
A 0.8-mile (1.3 km) out-and-back hike into the heart of Valle Grande and a pond on La Jara Creek.
30-60 Minutes
This strenuous, 12.2-mile (19.6 km) trail follows Sulphur Creek, passing through an old sulphur mining area, before turning eastward to skirt beautiful Valle Seco. It slowly climbs the ridge at the edge of Valle Seco before dropping back down Alamo Canyon, passing three geothermal ponds along the way. Best hiked clockwise. GPS required, especially for Alamo Canyon.
6-8 Hours
Valles Caldera provides excellent habitat for a wide variety of animals, and there are plenty of opportunities for viewing wildlife like elk, bears, prairie dogs, coyotes, and birds.
Valles Caldera National Preserve currently offers two versions of its Junior Ranger program: an experiential activity booklet designed for in-park completion, and an online program for kids who are unable to visit the park in-person.
30-90 Minutes
Get reeled into fishing with the Junior Ranger Let’s Go Fishing! Booklet.
30-90 Minutes
Winter is a spectacular time to visit Valles Caldera National Preserve. The park has miles of groomed and ungroomed trails for the adventurous snowshoer.
As an International Dark Sky Park, Valles Caldera National Preserve offers outstanding opportunities for night sky viewing. Park rangers offer year-round night sky programs and special events like full moon hikes, meteor shower watch parties, stargazing with telescopes, and astrophotography workshops. Visitors are also welcome to experience the night sky on their own at the Valle Grande overlooks along NM State Route 4, which are open 24/7 for public sky viewing.
Hunting is a permitted use under the enabling legislation for Valles Caldera National Preserve (Public Law 113-231, Sec. 3043) and can be done in accordance with applicable Federal and State law. The legislation also provides for the designation of zones and periods when no hunting is permitted for reasons of public safety, administration, wildlife management, or public use and enjoyment.
With Valles Caldera's rich ranching history, horses have been part of this landscape for over 100 years. Learn about how to participate in this legacy and ride your horse at Valles Caldera National Preserve today.
Hiking routes within Valles Caldera range from flat strolls through montane grasslands to steep climbs on forested lava domes. As this land was a private ranch for over 150 years, the majority of hiking routes follow old logging and ranching roads. Since Valles Caldera is a relatively new National Park Service site, trails are not well-marked, and most trailheads do not yet have signs. For this reason, it is important for hikers to carry a detailed park map and GPS.
This strenuous, 11-mile (17.7 km) out-and-back trail heads south from Valle San Antonio, up a narrow drainage, and then steadily climbs as it passes through several beautiful glades before terminating just below the summit of San Antonio Mountain. Good opportunities for wildflowers, especially in spring and fall.
5-6 Hours
A 0.3-mile (0.5 km) walk along the Sulphur Creek Trail leads hikers to Sulphur Springs, a site bubbling with geothermal features like acidic hot and cold springs, mudpots, and fumaroles. This area was once used for sulfur mining, geothermal energy exploration, and a hot springs health resort/spa. For details about the geothermal features you'll encounter, check out the self-guided Sulphur Springs Geology Tour in the National Park Service smartphone app!
30-60 Minutes
While this 21.2-mile (34.1 km) out-and-back trail is the longest in the park, it is not steep, and it has much to offer: pretty, extensive aspen groves, hidden high meadows, excellent opportunities for elk sightings, and rarely seen views of Redondo Peak. This is a great trail for trail runners and mountain bikers.
9-10 Hours
Easy access to Valles Caldera's premier front-country stream, the East Fork Jemez River, allows anglers to enjoy fishing longer hours and longer seasons in the park.
The Indios Creek Trail is a 7.8-mile (12.6 km) hike that climbs gently up to the northern boundary of the park. This trail follows a creek, passes an old cabin from the ranching era, and ends just beyond a beautiful, hidden valley.
2-4 Hours
The South Mountain Trail is an 8.2-mile (13.2 km) out-and-back hike that heads up a narrow valley before climbing, sometimes steeply, up the north side of South Mountain. The trail passes through shady groves of trees before reaching a lovely meadow at the top. Some of the best views of Valle Grande can be had from the summit.
3-4 Hours
This 1.5-mile (2.4 km) hiking loop circles Cerro La Jara, the smallest volcanic dome in the park, which formed about 500,000 years ago when lava oozed up and onto the caldera floor.
1-2 Hours
This 3.4-mile (5.5 km) out-and-back trail features breathtaking views along the East Fork Jemez River as it flows toward the southwestern corner of the park.
2-3 Hours
This 7.2-mile (11.6 km) loop gently ascends a lava dome and then contours around it, offering unparalleled views of much of the eastern half of the caldera.
3-4 Hours
Winter is a spectacular time to visit Valles Caldera National Preserve. The park has miles of groomed trails for the adventurous skier.
The waters of Valles Caldera National Preserve provide some great fly fishing for beginners and experts. As the rivers meander through lush mountain meadows, they create pools and overhanging banks, which are home to thousands of wild brown trout. The views and quiet serenity are well worth the fishing trip.
This strenuous, 11.2-mile (18 km) trail ascends a narrow drainage before circling around Cerro Seco lava dome, offering good views of Valle Seco and the northern rim of the caldera, with the best views saved for last. If you keep an eye out you might even spot pikas. Best hiked counterclockwise.
5-7 Hours
This pet-friendly, 2-mile (3.2 km) out-and-back trail quickly drops down the southeastern rim of the caldera to reach the edge of Valle Grande, offering sweeping views and excellent opportunities for elk viewing, especially early in the morning or late afternoon/early evening.
1-2 Hours
Both the Rabbit Mountain Loop (2.9 miles/4.7 km round-trip) and Rabbit Ridge Trail (additional 2.4 miles/3.8 km out-and-back) traverse along the southern rim of the caldera, offering great views of Valle Grande and Redondo Peak.
1-2 Hours
This strenuous, 7.6-mile (12.2 km) out-and-back route climbs steeply up the north rim of the caldera to reach the northern boundary fence line and then terminates in a lovely high meadow with spectacular views of the entire preserve. This route gains almost 1,800 feet in just 3.8 miles.
3-5 Hours