FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About the Valles Caldera

Note that the sources of much of the material below are from the following books. Click on their titles to purchase these publications online. Information from the first book is used with permission. The second book is published by the U.S. Government and as such information derived from it is in the public domain:

Valle Grande: A History of the Baca Location No. 1, by Craig Martin. All Seasons Publishing (2003).

More Than a Scenic Mountain Landscape: Valles Caldera National Preserve Land Use History, by Kurt F. Anschuetz and Thomas Merlan. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (2007)

KEY QUESTIONS

-What is the Valles Caldera? What is the Valles Caldera National Preserve? What is VallesCaldera.com?

Answers to these key questions can be found at our “About” page.

-What is the difference between the Valles Caldera and the Valles Caldera National Preserve? What attractions can I enjoy in the Valles Caldera National Preserve? What attractions can I enjoy in the Valles Caldera outside of the Valles Caldera National Preserve?

The Valles Caldera is the geologic bowl, or crater, formed when the earth collapsed in the Jemez Mountains of Northern New Mexico after a cataclysmic eruption took place here 1.2 million years ago. The Valles Caldera National Preserve, which is approximately 89,000 acres, encompasses most, but not all, of the Valles Caldera.

Information on attractions on the Valles Caldera National Preserve can be found on our Visiting the Caldera page.

Some of the most beautiful and easily accessible parts of the Caldera are not part of the National Preserve. Rather, they are part of the Santa Fe National Forest. View our Visiting the Caldera Page to learn about these attractions, or visit the Santa Fe National Forest’s Jemez recreation page for more information.

-What is shown on the masthead of VallesCaldera.com?

The masthead of this web site consists of a photo looking north from road VC0301, blasted through the toweringly steep slopes on the north side of Redondito Peak by loggers, halfway up the Peak, at 10,000 feet of elevation. Visible, from left to right, are the caldera’s North Rim, Garita Peak, the ring fracture domes of Cerro Santa Rosa and Cerro Toledo, Chicoma Peak (outside of the Caldera), and the ring fracture dome of Cerro Abrigo. The logo on the right-hand side of the masthead is a stylized representation of Redondo Peak from the south, highlighting the clearing on the peak that forms the sacred eagle that is holy to many Native Americans in Northern New Mexico (See the question below: “Why is Redondo Peak important to the history of the Native Americans in the area? What’s the story of the outline of the eagle on Redondo Peak?”).

GEOLOGY

-What is the geologic description of the Valles Caldera?

The Valles Caldera is a collapsed volcanic crater formed by a massive eruption that occurred 1.2 million years ago. The eruption expelled about 65 cubic miles of magma in the form of ash, pumice, and gas. After the eruption occurred, the empty chamber that had held the magma could no longer support the earth above it. Consequently, the earth collapsed, forming a giant crater, or caldera, approximately 12 miles in diameter. The first massive caldera in the Jemez was formed by an eruption 1.6 million years ago (the Toledo Caldera), which was mostly destroyed by the eruption that formed the Valles Caldera 400,000 years later. (Martin)

-Why are the Jemez Mountains volcanic?

The Jemez Mountains exist at the boundary of two rifts in the earth – the Rio Grande Rift (running from Leadville, CO to Northern Mexico), and the relatively weaker Jemez Lineament (running from southeast Arizona to Colorado). Since these rifts are weak spots in the earth, underground magma (molten rock) flows toward the earth’s surface at these points, and particularly at the intersection of these rifts (Martin).

-Are the Jemez Mountains/Valles Caldera a volcano?

The Jemez Mountains are, more precisely, a “massive pile of a variety of lava types sitting atop an immense geologic X formed by two fundamental cracks in the earth” (Martin). The Valles Caldera is located in the middle of this lava field.

-What was here before the first of the two massive cataclysmic ‘big eruptions’ 1.6 million years ago? Was it a conical stratovolcano like Mt. St. Helens?

A range of volcanic domes (with elevations of no more than 11,000 or 12,000 feet) and canyons existed in the Jemez before the Toledo Caldera and Valles Caldera eruptions – not much different than today. There was never one peak that pointed skyward like a stratovolcano. (Martin)

-What are the two models of volcanic eruptions that are useful to understand in order to comprehend the geologic history of the Valles Caldera?

1. The “toothpaste model,” in which magma slowly and gently flows through weak spots in the earth to the surface. This type of eruption can currently be witnessed in volcanos such as the one on the Big Island of Hawai’i as well as Volcan Arenál in Costa Rica. The volcanic ring fracture domes in the Valles Caldera were formed along the rim of where the earth collapsed in the formation of the Caldera. These domes were formed in a counterclockwise manner understood by the toothpaste model, as lava gently and gradually erupted over the span of 700,000 years. The volcanic ring fracture domes that formed in the Caldera from 1.2 million years ago to 500,000 years ago are, in order of creation, Cerro del Medio, Cerro Abrigo, Cerro Santa Rosa, Cerro Trasquilar, Cerro San Luis, Cerro Seco, and San Antonio Mountain. The remaining ring fracture domes, Cerro la Jara and South Mountain, were formed about 500,000 years ago. Cerro la Jara is the relatively tiny hill that rises in the western Valle Grande, appearing as an island on days in which fog fills the Valle Grande. Consequently, many in the Jemez refer to Cerro la Jara as “The Island.” (Martin)

2. The “champagne bottle” model, in which magma beneath the surface builds so much pressure that the magma suddenly, rapidly and cataclysmically erupts. This model explains the eruptions at Mt. St. Helens in 1979 as well as Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, which destroyed Pompeii, Italy. This model also explains the two major cataclysmic eruptions in Jemez history — those that led to the collapse of the the Toledo Caldera (1.6 million years ago) and Valles Caldera (1.2 million years ago).

-When did volcanic activity begin in the Jemez Mountains? When was the last volcanic activity?

Volcanic activity began in the Jemez about 16 million years ago.

The last two Jemez volcanic events were:

1. The El Cajete eruption occurred between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, the vent of which was El Cajete Crater (a panoramic photo of which can be seen here). This eruption formed Battleship Rock (a panoramic photo of which can be seen here), 4 miles north of Jemez Springs, and also covered the area with a thick layer of pumice.

2. Shortly thereafter, the Banco Bonito Flow occurred, which expelled “thick, obsidian-like lava” (Martin) on at least four separate eruptions.

One can see the output from both of these volcanic events at a roadcut on NM Highway 4 at the East Fork of the Jemez River near Jemez Falls campground. A large layer of pumice from the El Cajete Eruption can be seen, topped by a layer of black obsidian from the Banco Bonito Flow. (Martin)

- Is the Valles Caldera the world’s oldest caldera? Is it the youngest? The biggest? The smallest?

The Valles Caldera is neither the oldest, youngest, largest, or smallest caldera in the world.

-How many caldera collapses have occurred in the Jemez? How much volcanic material was ejected during these eruptions? What does this compare to?

There have been two massive eruptions in the Jemez that formed calderas – the Toledo Caldera (1.6 million years ago) and the Valles Caldera (1.2 million years ago). Both of the eruptions that produced these calderas produced about 65 cubic miles of volcanic material. These eruptions can be understood by the aforementioned “champagne bottle model” of eruptions. Most of the Toledo Caldera was obliterated by the later Valles Caldera eruption and collapse. (Martin)

-What were the main events that happened after the Valles Caldera collapsed?

A bowl formed, making it impossible for precipitation to escape, and thus the first of many “caldera lakes” was created. An example of this phenomenon can be seen at Crater Lake in Oregon (which is a caldera), and also at Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park (the lake being part of the larger caldera in Yellowstone, which is 40 miles wide, compared to the 12-mile-wide Valles Caldera).

Subsequently, the caldera floor began to rise as magma pushed towards the surface again. Without penetrating the surface, the magma managed to bulge the center of the caldera up to a height of more than 3,000 feet above the floor. This “resurgent dome” is now known as Redondo Peak (elev. 11,254).

Next, ring fracture domes were formed by the area along the caldera “ring fracture” through “toothpaste model” eruptions (gradual, relatively non-violent eruptions) . The ring fracture is the roughly circular ring along which the earth collapsed and formed the Valles Caldera. The caldera ring fracture domes were formed from 1.2 million years ago to 500,000 years ago. These ring fracture domes are Cerro del Medio, Cerro Abrigo, Cerro Santa Rosa, Cerro Trasquilar, Cerro San Luis, Cerro Seco, San Antonio Mountain, South Mountain, and Cerro la Jara.

Lastly, 50,000-60,000 years ago the El Cajete eruption occurred, which produced a significant layer of pumice on top of much of the Jemez Mountains, and also created Battleship Rock. Shortly thereafter the Banco Bonito lava flow occurred. (Martin)

The formation of the resurgent dome as well as the ring fracture domes displaced enough water so that the surface of the “caldera lakes” breached the rim of the Caldera and began to flow out, carving canyons like Jemez Springs’ San Diego Canyon and San Antonio Canyon. However, there was not just one lake, but different lakes in different locations throughout the history of the Valles Caldera. (Martin)

-Will the Jemez Mountains/Valles Caldera erupt again?

Given the past volcanic history of the Jemez Mountains, future eruptions will probably happen here. However, it is impossible to predict when this will happen. If there were to be an imminent eruption again, we’d know because of the occurrence of large earthquakes as well as changes in temperature in the hot springs and fumaroles of the Jemez (fumaroles are openings in Earth’s crust which emit steam and gases. Fumaroles in the Valles Caldera can be found at the Sulphur Springs complex, which is a private inholding on the west side of Valles Caldera National Preserve).

-What is Redondo Peak and why is it important geologically? What is its elevation? Is it the highest peak in the Jemez? (see its importance to the history of the Native Americans here)

A “resurgent dome,” Redondo Peak was formed within 70,000 years after the Valles Caldera eruption (1.2 million years ago). It rose when magma beneath the surface of the caldera pushed the earth upward, bulging the dome 3,000 feet above the caldera floor. (Martin)

Redondo Peak’s elevation is 11,254 feet. Redondo is the highest point in the Valles Caldera, but it is not the highest peak in the Jemez. The highest mountain in the Jemez is Chicoma Peak, elevation 11,539 ft.

Contrary to the belief of some, Redondo Peak is no longer growing.

Redondo Peak is also the highest mountain in Sandoval County.

Learn more information on the importance of Redondo Peak to the history of the Native Americans in Northern New Mexico.

-Why is the Valles Caldera sometimes referred to as the “Yellowstone of the Southwest?”

1. The Valles Caldera and Yellowstone are both volcanic calderas.

2. They both feature broad, grassy valleys and forested slopes.

3. They both feature hot springs, fumaroles, and other geothermal activity.

4. They both feature massive herds of elk. In fact, the elk currently in the Jemez were reintroduced from Yellowstone and surrounding areas.

-What is obsidian and why is it important to the geologic history of the Jemez Mountains? How far away has obsidian from the Jemez Mountains been found?

Obsidian is a shiny, black volcanic glass that is found throughout the Valles Caldera and Jemez Mountains. It is formed by rapidly cooling lava with a high silica content. Broken edges of obsidian are extremely thin and sharp, providing tremendous benefit to humans as arrowheads, points, spears, knives, and scrapers. Such tools are as sharp as surgical steel. One of the primary uses of the Valles Caldera to humans for over 10,000 years has been collecting obsidian to construct tools such as mentioned above, and in trading such tools.

When a piece of obsidian is fractured, it begins to absorb hydrogen from the air at a set rate. Under a high-powered microscope, one can examine the length of the hydration rind formed through this absorption of hydrogen on a piece of fractured obsidian and roughly determine from that when the obsidian was broken. From this evidence, we know that people have used the Caldera for 10,000 years.

Each volcano around the world has its own chemical fingerprint. By comparing the chemical fingerprint found in a volcanic rock to databases of the geochemical quality of volcanoes throughout the world, one can determine the exact source volcano of any volcanic rock. Through the use of this technique, it has been determined that obsidian from the Jemez Mountains was traded as far away as Mississippi, North Dakota, Southern California, and Sonora, Mexico – the high utility of the obsidian and the tools that were created from it being valuable in trade among prehistoric peoples. It is estimated that 80% of the obsidian found in archeological sites from the archaic period in New Mexico are from the Jemez. (Martin)

ARCHEOLOGY

-When did humans first come to the Jemez Mountains and how do we know this?

Prehistoric people came to the Jemez about 10,000 years ago (Martin). (See the previous question)

-In which other activities did Native Americans participate at the Valles Caldera?

They collected obsidian, made tools, grew crops, and hunted.

-How do I know if I have found a piece of obsidian that is an archeological artifact?

If you find a piece of obsidian with concentric curves emanating away from its fractured edge, it is possible that it is an archeological artifact. To understand why, consider that if one were to throw a large rock into a pond, ripples of concentric waves of water would travel away from the impact point of the rock. Similarly, when prehistoric people struck obsidian with rocks to fashion tools, concentric circles, known as “concoital fractures,” emanate from the broken edge.

-Why is Redondo Peak important to the history of the Native Americans in the area? What’s the story of the outline of the eagle on Redondo Peak?

Redondo Peak, the “Father of All Northern Mountains,” is the most sacred mountain to the people of the Jemez Pueblo and many of the surrounding Native American pueblos. According to legend, the ancestors of the Jemez Indians lived in the Four Corners area, but were constantly challenged by a scarcity of food and water throughout their history there. Consequently, their gods told them to travel south to find a new place to live — one that was rich in resources. Specifically, the gods told them to follow an eagle, which would guide them to their new homeland.

When the Jemez people came to the Jemez Mountains, they saw the outline of an eagle spanning the top of Redondo Peak, formed by a wide natural clearing of trees across the top one-third of the dome. They immediately took this as a sign from the heavens that the Jemez was to be their new home. This broad eagle, promising a homeland of providence and abundance, can still be seen from the south, all the way from Albuquerque (Martin) (Anschuetz).

Due to Redondo Peak occupying such a sacred part of the Jemez people’s history, the Valles Caldera National Preserve has restricted all access to Redondo Peak above 10,000 feet, reserving it exclusively for access by native people, who still climb the sacred peak to worship and revere their holy mountain.

To see Redondo Peak and the sacred eagle from Albuquerque, all one has to do is to drive north on one of the many north-south thoroughfares in the city. One should follow the road with one’s eyes until the road hits the horizon. At the intersection of the road and the horizon, Redondo Peak and its sacred eagle will be visible.

FLORA AND FAUNA

-What are the two most important types of ecosystems in the Valles Caldera, and how much of the land do they occupy?

Montane grasslands (“valles”) occupy one-third of the Caldera, and forested slopes occupy the remaining two-thirds.

-How many elk are estimated to spend the summers in the Valles Caldera National Preserve?

Approximately 3,000 elk live in the Valles Caldera in the summer, with about 4,500 in the Jemez Mountains in general.

-How many bears live in the Valles Caldera? What kind of bears live here? What about other animals?

Scientists’ best estimate is that about 20-40 bears live in the Valles Caldera, though little is known about the bear population. Only black bears live here, grizzly bears having been extirpated (i.e. locally eradicated/locally extinct) in the 1930s. Black bears can have a black, brown or cinnamon color.

Scientists estimate that one or two female mountain lions live here, with an indeterminate number of males entering and leaving the area at will.

-Are there wolves in the Jemez?

There are no wolves here in the Jemez. The gray wolf was extirpated in the early 1930s by hunting.

-What is the moniker for a male/female elk?

A male elk is a “bull,” a female elk is a “cow,” and the young are “calves.” Only male elk have antlers.

-When is calving season for elk? When is their rutting (mating) season?

Elk calving (giving birth) occurs in late spring and early summer. Rutting (mating) season occurs in late summer/early fall. This is a spectacular time in the Jemez, with loud and high pitched “bugling” (the male elk’s mating call) echoing through the broad valleys and forests of the Jemez. During rutting season, bulls (male elk) fight over one another’s “harem” of cows (female elk) by charging at one another with their antlers colliding in a stunning display of natural instinct.

-What are some birds that live on the Valles Caldera?

The golden eagle, bald eagle, kestrel, bluebird, magpie, red tailed hawk, and turkey vulture all live here. The Caldera is also home to owls, ravens, crows, sparrows, cooper’s hawks, and ducks.

-Is it true that the Valles Caldera is host to the fastest animal on earth?

Yes. The Valles Caldera and Jemez Mountains are home to the peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on earth. This bird can reach speeds of up to approximately 200 miles per hour, a speed that they achieve when soaring to great heights and then executing their hunting dive, the “stoop,” hitting one wing of their prey so as not to harm themselves upon impact.

-Are the elk in the Jemez the native sub-species?

The elk found in the Jemez are not its native sub-species. There is one species of elk across the world, described as “elk” in North America and as “red deer’ in Europe and New Zealand. However, there are numerous sub-species of elk across the world and within North America. Humans eradicated the Jemez’ native elk (the Merriam subspecies Cervus elaphus merriami) though hunting by 1910. Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni), from Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, were reintroduced to the Jemez in 1947 and 1964 by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. This elk herd has grown in size to up to 4,500 in the Jemez and up to 3,000 in the Valles Caldera.

-Are there any endemic species of fauna on the Valles Caldera?

Yes. The Jemez Mountain Salamander is endemic (restricted or peculiar to a locality or region) to the Jemez Mountains. The Goat Peak Pika, a sub-species of the American Pika (a small, hamster-like animal), is also found exclusively in the Jemez.

-What are the most common trees found on the Valles Caldera?

Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, Aspen, Blue and Engelman Spruce, Limber Pine, and Gambel Oak are found on the Valles Caldera.

-Why are there no trees in the broad valleys in the Valles Caldera, unlike the Caldera’s verdant, forested slopes?

Consider that there were lakes in much of the Valles Caldera after the caldera collapsed 1.2 million years ago, since the bowl of the Caldera trapped precipitation over thousands of years that could not escape. Sediment in the water settled to the bottom of the lakes, rather than their sides. Once the water from the lakes was displaced over the wall of the Caldera by the formation of the ring fracture domes and the resurgent dome, and the lakes had fully drained away, the composition of the soil of the lakebed had been permanently changed. The soil of the valley floors had much more moisture and was much finer than the soil on the slopes due to the fact that they had been lakebeds. Trees prefer drier, rockier soil, so rather than growing in the broad valleys, the trees kept to the slopes. This effect, combined with the fact that colder air descends into the bottom of the valleys rather than the slopes, making it harder for trees to grow there, explains the lack of trees on the broad valleys of the Valles Caldera.

RECENT HISTORY OF THE LAND THAT BECAME THE VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE:

-What is the story behind the creation of the land grant that became the Baca Location #1 (i.e. the Baca Ranch) and later the Valles Caldera National Preserve?

The main boundaries of the piece of land that became the Valles Caldera National Preserve exist partially because of an historical event that happened in Spain in the 13th century AD: the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, which took place on July 12, 1212. This was a decisive battle of the Reconquista, the long period in the Middle Ages in which various European kingdoms gradually expelled the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula.

In 1212, the Moorish army was situated to the south of the Sierra Morena mountains in Andalucia (southern Spain). The Moors had blocked the Despeñaperros Pass through the mountains, and consequently the Sierra Morenas served as a seemingly impenetrable fortress defending the Moors from the Spanish army to the north. However, a local shepherd named Martin de Alhaja knew of a pass through the Sierra Morenas unknown to the Moors, through which the Spanish army might penetrate the mountains and surprise the Moorish army on the other side. Alhaja informed the Spanish of this route, and said he would place a cow’s skull in the pass to mark the secret route for the Spanish army. The Spanish did find this marker, and pierced the mountains through this hidden pass, defeating the Moors in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. King Sancho VII of Navarre (a kingdom that includes what is now Pamplona, Spain) subsequently awarded Martin de Alhaja the title “Cabeza de Baca,” which means “Cow’s Head” in Spanish.

Some descendants of the Cabeza de Baca family came to New Mexico in the 1500s. In 1821, Luis Maria Cabeza de Baca received a land grant from the Spanish government in Durango, Mexico, for approximately 500,000 acres of land that is now partially occupied by Las Vegas, NM. Meanwhile, Cabeza de Baca was shot by Mexican soldiers in 1827, allegedly due to his storing of an illegal cache of pelts in his home that had been illegally obtained by an American trapper.

Because of circumstances that arose from Cabeza de Baca’s death, his family never permanently occupied this grant.

In 1835, a group of 30 settlers (having no affiliation to the Bacas) was awarded the “Las Vegas Community Grant” from the Mexican government in Santa Fe (Mexico having declared its independence from Spain in 1821). The grant was similar in location to the grant that had been awarded to the Cabeza de Baca family by the Spanish government. The Mexican government awarded this because of the knowledge that the Cabeza de Baca family had abandoned this grant.

Meanwhile, in 1846, the United States invaded New Mexico during the Mexican-American War. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which asserted that the U.S. would honor all Spanish and Mexican land grants.

In 1854, the family of Cabeza de Baca petitioned the United States government for their disputed land grant, insisting that they had never abandoned it. In 1860, in response to the petition, the government ruled that both the Cabeza de Baca grant and the Las Vegas Community Grant (which was now home to thousands of people) were both valid.

In order to settle the dispute, an act of Congress was signed by President James Buchanan in 1860 in which the U.S. government agreed to award the Cabeza de Baca family five separate square 100,000 acre “floats” of land in return for the Bacas giving up their claim to the Las Vegas Community Grant. The family was given the right to choose these parcels of land anywhere in the New Mexico Territory, which at the time included present-day New Mexico, Arizona, and parts of Colorado.

The family chose two floats in Arizona, one in Colorado, and two in New Mexico. The Cabeza de Bacas chose 100,000 acres of the Jemez Mountains as their first float, which became known as “Baca Location No. 1,” the rough boundaries of which, 140 years later, became the Valles Caldera National Preserve (Martin).

-How large is the Valles Caldera National Preserve? How large was the Baca Location No. 1 (Baca Ranch) originally?

The Valles Caldera National Preserve is about 89,000 acres, or about 140 square miles. The original Baca Location No. 1 was 100,000 acres. The National Preserve includes most, but not all, of the Valles Caldera.

-How was the Valles Caldera National Preserve created? How much money did it cost to purchase the land? What are the unique aspects of the legislation that created the Valles Caldera National Preserve?

For over a century, the public had longed to cross the fences of the Baca Ranch and explore this forbidden land, particularly after NM State Hwy 4 was constructed in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, opening the grand vistas of the Valle Grande to the public. During the 20th century, there had been numerous efforts to try to purchase the land for the American people. In 2000, a compromise between President Clinton and New Mexico’s U.S. Senator Pete Domenici yielded the “Valles Caldera Preservation Act,” which purchased the land for the American people for $101 million. The funds were obtained from the federal government’s Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Some stipulations of the Valles Caldera Preservation Act are:

1. The Preserve must be financially self-sufficient by 2015 (this aspect is based upon the Presidio Trust in San Francisco, CA);

2. It must be run as a working ranch;

3. Management of the Preserve is run by a self-contained government entity known as the Valles Caldera Trust, run by a nine trustees appointed by the President of the United States. Trustees serve four-year terms, with a maximum of two consecutive terms;

4. The northeast 5,046 acres of the land (the watershed for the Santa Clara River) were to be sold to the Santa Clara Pueblo;

5. 300 acres of the southwest corner of the land (the upper Alamo watershed) were to be ceded to Bandelier National Monument.

-What will happen if the Valles Caldera National Preserve is not financially self-sufficient by 2015?

According to the Valles Caldera Preservation Act, management of the VCNP would be assumed by the U.S. Forest Service if the Valles Caldera National Preserve does not make a profit by 2015. However, the Trust can ask Congress for funds for an additional five years.

-What is the benefit of cattle grazing to nature? What is the downside?

Some point to data that finds that cattle grazing helps to fertilize grasses. Others assert that cattle erode streambanks, thereby detracting from the mission of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to preserve the land for future generations. They also point to the decrease in quality of recreation experiences on the preserve caused by cattle and their waste.

GETTING INVOLVED

-What kinds of recreation activities are offered on the Valles Caldera National Preserve? How do I reserve a recreational activity?

See “Visiting the Caldera” for more information.

-How can I join some local organizations that advocate on issues regarding the Valles Caldera?

Click on the links below to visit the web sites of the following organizations involved with the Valles Caldera. These organizations are also listed on the right sidebar of this web site:

Los Amigos de Valles Caldera – The official “Friends of the Caldera” organization.

Caldera Action – Advocating for increased access, and the restoration and protection of the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Valles Caldera Rim Trails – A grass roots effort to create a trail around the entire 78-mile rim of the Valles Caldera.

Sierra Club, Rio Grande Chapter: Valles Caldera Project – A project of the Sierra Club whose mission statement is “to improve upon the following aspects of the Valles Caldera National Preserve: ‘Lack of adequate recreational access to the Preserve; failure to develop a realistic comprehensive management plan; and lack of financial disclosure, transparency, and planning with respect to the enabling act’s mandate for financial self sufficiency.’”

Jemez Trails- A loose coalition of people who are concerned about the Santa Fe National Forest Travel Management Plan and how it will affect non-motorized users and the health of the Jemez Mountains region of the Santa Fe National Forest.

-How do I contact members of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation to let them know my opinions on the Valles Caldera National Preserve?

Click here for contact info for NM’s Congressional delegation.

-How do I contact the management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve?

Click here for contact info for the management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

-How do I contact local newspapers to write a letter to the editor regarding my thoughts on the Valles Caldera National Preserve?

Here is some contact info for the editors of local newspapers.

VallesCaldera.com – The independent news source about the Valles Caldera

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About the Valles Caldera

KEY QUESTIONS

GEOLOGY

ARCHEOLOGY

FLORA AND FAUNA

RECENT HISTORY OF THE LAND THAT BECAME THE VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE

GETTING INVOLVED

KEY QUESTIONS

GEOLOGY

ARCHEOLOGY

FLORA AND FAUNA

RECENT HISTORY OF THE LAND THAT BECAME THE VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE:

GETTING INVOLVED

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