Landscape These are the most frequently asked questions about Valles Caldera's landscape.
We call this phenomenon our "inverted tree line." In most mountainous areas, tree cover becomes increasingly sparse as you move higher in elevation, but at Valles Caldera, the opposite is generally true. Why?
Overnight, very cold air forms on the surrounding lava domes and sinks down into the valley bottoms. This air is so cold for so many consecutive days each year that it prevents tree seedlings from surviving. Just a few hundred feet higher on the lava domes, temperatures can be 30 to 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) warmer! You can observe this phenomenon from home by checking the temperatures at various climate stations throughout the park: https://www.nps.gov/vall/planyourvisit/conditions.htm. Hint: The temperature gradient is most impressive on winter mornings. Dense lake sediment soils and saturated, marshy conditions also contribute to the lack of tree growth in the valleys. In 2011, Las Conchas Fire burned 156,000 acres (243 square miles) across the Jemez Mountains, including the south rim of Valles Caldera, which is visible along NM-4. In the first 14 hours, this fire burned more than 40,000 acres. By the time it stopped spreading, Las Conchas Fire was more than three times the size of the previous largest forest fire in Jemez Mountains history (the 2000 Cerro Grande Fire). We often get this question at the Volcano Discovery Center, located along the northern edge of Valle Grande. The Volcano Discovery Center sits at about 8,700 feet above sea level. Redondo Peak, Valles Caldera's central resurgent dome and highest point at 11,254 feet, is visible along the entrance road leading to the Volcano Discovery Center. At 88,900 acres, this park encompasses most of the 14-mile-wide volcanic caldera created by a spectacular volcanic eruption about 1.2 million years ago. The parts of the caldera that do not fall within the boundaries of Valles Caldera National Preserve are located primarily south and west of the park on adjacent Santa Fe National Forest lands. Throughout Valles Caldera National Preserve, you may see small, fenced-in plots of land. We call these exclosures, and they are intended to keep elk and other wildlife from grazing in the enclosed areas. This allows park scientists to compare plant growth and production rates in areas that are grazed vs. areas that are not grazed. This research helps to inform management decisions regarding carrying capacity, such as the number of annual elk tags issued to hunters and the number of cattle permitted within Valles Caldera's designated grazing allotments. Wildlife These are the most frequently asked questions about park wildlife.
Valles Caldera's high-elevation ecosystems support a great diversity of wildlife including several thousand elk and healthy populations of mountain lions, bears, bobcats, and coyotes. Additionally, at least 40 bird species of conservation concern and 3 endangered wildlife species are known to occupy Valles Caldera. As with any wild animal, the elk herds at Valles Caldera move around quite a bit from day to day, so a sighting is never guaranteed. However, elk are among the most commonly spotted wildlife in Valle Grande, so next time you're looking for them, consider these tips: "Elk rutting" is the official term for elk mating season, which begins in September and goes through early November at Valles Caldera National Preserve. During this time, bull elk will spar with each other and compete to mate with female elk, called cows. To announce their availability and fitness to cows and to warn and challenge other bulls, elk make a unique sound called bugling. This sound is a crescendo of deep, resonant tones that rise rapidly to a high-pitched squeal before dropping to a series of grunts. This sound is the hallmark of the rut, echoing eerily across Valle Grande in the early morning and evening. Valles Caldera is home to a population of about 2,500 Rocky Mountain elk (𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪). Primarily grazers, elk have a diverse habitat range but are often found in open grasslands or meadows near forest edges. In mountain regions, they generally stay in higher elevations during warmer months and migrate to lower elevations in the winter. During the summer months, visitors to Valles Caldera often notice large numbers of unyielding prairie dogs on the gravel road near the Welcome Station. The crushed gravel surface contains a variety of minerals (like salt) that are not as readily available in the prairie dogs' otherwise herbaceous diets. Please remember that all wildlife have the right-of-way on the roads at Valles Caldera National Preserve. The 10-mph speed limit in the vicinity of the Welcome Station is strictly enforced to protect both wildlife and pedestrians. Amid the grandness of the landscapes at Valles Caldera National Preserve, size and scale can be deceiving. Often mistaken for a wolf, the coyote is about one-third of a wolf's size with a slighter build. Its coat colors range from tan to buff, sometimes gray, with some orange on its tail and ears. While coyotes are easiest to spot during the winter months when snow blankets the montane grasslands of Valles Caldera, visitors with a keen eye for camouflage may observe them here year-round. Coyotes hunt the grasslands for voles, mice, rabbits, and prairie dogs primarily when the sun is low in the mornings and evenings, although they remain fairly active throughout the day during the winter months. Because so many park visitors observe them in the winter when their coats are extra thick, coyotes are commonly mistaken for wolves. Geology These are the most frequently asked questions pertaining to park geology.
Valles Caldera is a dormant volcano, meaning that it’s not actively erupting, but there are signs of a potential eruption in the future. We see these signs in the form of geothermal activity. Sulphur Springs was acquired by Valles Caldera National Preserve in 2020, and it is the best place in the park to observe geothermal activity. Sulfuric-acid hot springs, volcanic fumaroles, and steaming mud-pots are evidence of an active magma chamber underneath the park. Many of the geothermal features at Valles Caldera are found nowhere else in New Mexico, and similar sites are very rare in the western United States. Well, you could say that X marks the spot. Valles Caldera National Preserve is located at the intersection of two major fault systems: the Rio Grande Rift and the Jemez Lineament. The rift, a stretching and thinning area of the earth’s crust, extends from central Colorado to the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. The lineament, a chain of volcanic fields, spans from east-central Arizona to the Raton-Clayton volcanic field in northeastern New Mexico. Of all the volcanic fields along the lineament, the Jemez volcanic field (where Valles Caldera is located) is by far the most explosive. It has produced three times the eruptive volume of the Jemez Lineament's other volcanic fields combined. Obsidian is a glass-like igneous rock that forms when viscous, silica-rich lava cools quickly. At Valles Caldera, obsidian formed during the Cerro del Medio eruption approximately 1.13-1.16 million years ago. At that time, most of the caldera was covered by a lake, so much of the extruded lava during this eruption cooled rapidly underwater, perhaps causing the formation of obsidian. Obsidian from Valles Caldera is of very high quality and has been traded extensively for thousands of years. It has been found from California to Mississippi and from North Dakota to Mexico. Stories of the Jemez Mountains and the caldera would have traveled with these resources across trade routes and people groups. Since its formation, Valles Caldera has experienced a volcanic episode every 80,000-100,000 years. The last event, the Banco Bonito eruption, took place about 68,000 years ago.
Today, Valles Caldera is considerered dormant, but not extinct. It’s hard to say exactly when it will erupt again, but when it re-awakens, there will be clues like small earthquakes, volcanic vents opening up, and hot springs turning hotter. Scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory keep a close eye on seismic activity here, and they say that the caldera is “remarkably quiet” for now. Recreation These are the most frequently asked questions about recreation at Valles Caldera.
Anglers with a valid NM state fishing license and HMAV stamp may fish Valles Caldera National Preserve's waters. Please note: Anglers who wish to drive their personal vehicles into Valles Caldera's backcountry to fish San Antonio Creek, Rito de los Indios, or Jaramillo Creek must obtain a backcountry vehicle pass at Recreation.gov. Backcountry vehicle passes are limited. At Valles Caldera National Preserve, pets may accompany you in the following designated areas: Yes! As an International Dark Sky Park, Valles Caldera National Preserve protects and offers spectacular views of a naturally dark night sky - including the Milky Way. Throughout the year, ranger-guided programs offer a unique opportunity to view the night sky from within Valle Grande. For observing the night sky on your own, the overlooks of Valle Grande along NM State Route 4 are open 24/7, all year around. Every winter, reduced daylight causes testosterone levels to drop in male deer and elk, which eventually leads their antlers to fall off. Once spring arrives, a multi-species scavenger hunt begins. Shed antlers are a fantastic source of nutrients for the non-human critters that find them on the forest or valley floor. Because they are such an important supplement to the diets of wildlife in this high-elevation ecosystem, shed collecting is not permitted within the boundaries of Valles Caldera National Preserve. Next time you find a shed while you’re visiting the park, inspect it for tiny marks where critters have been nibbling on it to kickstart their springtime diets. That is the mark of a scavenger hunt winner. 🏆 A trail map of e-bikeable roads and trails is available on our Biking webpage: https://www.nps.gov/vall/planyourvisit/mountain-biking.htm. History & Culture These are the most common questions about Valles Caldera's history and culture.
For decades, filmmakers and television producers have been drawn to Valles Caldera and the Jemez Mountains. The area's sweeping valleys, rugged mountains, and colorful canyonlands make up a landscape reminiscent of the "Wild West" - a stunning and believable backdrop for visual storytelling through television and film. If you can imagine, Valle Grande used to be covered with thousands of grazing livestock like sheep, cattle, and horses. The cluster of historic cabins on the northern end of Valle Grande (what we call the "Cabin District" today) facilitated ranching operations on this land for nearly 100 years. The cabins were used primarily as housing for seasonal ranch workers and their families. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have used Valles Caldera for hunting; fishing; collecting seeds, nuts, and berries; and gathering plants for medicine and ceremonies. They have also used the caldera’s signature resource—obsidian—to support these lifeways. Obsidian artifacts from the last 12,000 years have been found throughout Valles Caldera in ancient quarries, campsites, and seasonal villages. They have also been found much, much farther away, demonstrating the significance of this source and illustrating the extensive geographic ranges used by past hunter-gatherers, and perhaps indicating extensive trade of this valuable toolstone. Because every obsidian deposit has a unique geochemical fingerprint, scientists have been able to match artifacts found as far away as Mississippi back to prehistoric quarries at Valles Caldera! Amenities, Operating Hours, and Seasons These are the most common questions about park amenities, operating hours, and seasons.
Unfortunately, there is no running water available at Valles Caldera National Preserve at this time. Visitors should come prepared with as much drinking water as they will need for the day. If you're in a pinch, the Valle Grande Bookstore, operated by Los Amigos de Valles Caldera, sells bottled water for $1. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Valles Caldera National Preserve's entrance gate is open daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM for the summer season. For the rest of the year, the gate is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. During the summer season, you can drive into the backcountry along the backcountry vehicle route. This route takes you from the Valle Grande front-country through the heart of the caldera and up into Valle Toledo and Valle San Antonio in the north. This route is open to pedestrians, snowshoers, skiers, and bicyclists year-round, but vehicular access is open annually from May 15 to November 15. Long before Valles Caldera National Preserve became a unit of the National Park Service, people came here for thousands of years to hunt wild game and subsist off the land. Because it has been such a prevalent part of the land use history and the conservation of species in this place, hunting remains a permitted activity at Valles Caldera today. Unit 6B, which encompasses Valles Caldera National Preserve, is a highly coveted elk hunting location in the state of New Mexico. Between 2,500 and 3,000 elk call this area home. National Park Service Careers & Lifestyles These are the most common questions about National Park Service careers and lifestyles.
The National Park Service manages more than 400 sites containing diverse stories, resources, and values. These sites' titles include such designations as national park, national preserve, national monument, national memorial, national historic site, national seashore, and national battlefield park. Valles Caldera National Preserve hosts a variety of job opportunities. About 50 full-time equivalent positions make up the park staff, in fields including administration, education and interpretation, law enforcement, maintenance, resource stewardship and science, and visitor services. Park employees work outdoors or in the office, behind the scenes or directly with the public, seasonally or year-round. Every role is vital for the park to fulfill its mission of preserving natural and cultural resources for future generations while providing meaningful experiences for visitors. This is one of the most common questions we receive here! In keeping with the ~12,000 years of human history at Valles Caldera, nobody lives on-site year-round. Instead, this remains a landscape of seasonal occupants and commuters. Most of our staff live in nearby communities like Los Alamos, Española, Jemez Springs, Pueblo of Jemez, and even the Rio Rancho/Albuquerque area. Learn more about the human history of Valles Caldera: https://home.nps.gov/vall/learn/historyculture/index.htm. |
Last updated: December 2, 2025