Wildfires Transform Valles Caldera
NOT FAR BEHIND the ranger station, the forest ends. Sunlight floods over grasses, wildflowers, and burnt trunks still standing after the most recent wildfire. The 2013 Thompson Ridge Fire charred the…
Read More
Engage with Valles Caldera Events
FOOTSTEPS CRUNCH ON a patchy crust of snow as Ranger Adam Dean hikes out to the sunny side of Cerro La Jara, one of the tree-shrouded lava domes in the caldera. He follows a trail visible only as a…
Read More
Valles Caldera Provides Fertile Research
THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS SALAMANDER grows to all of three inches long and hides under fallen logs and rocks, where moist soil allows it to breathe through its skin. For nearly a decade, Nancy Karraker, a…
Read More
Melissa Fu Tells the Caldera's Story
A LTHOUGH LOS ALAMOS native Melissa Fu moved to the United Kingdom 18 years ago, she says she’s “always plotting” ways to return home. In September, the author joined the inaugural artist-in-residence…
Read More
Let the Valles Caldera Inspire You
RESIDENT ARTISTS The artists-in-residence program hosts six artists from mid-May through late October. Each one runs at least one public event. In 2024, offerings included nature journaling, drawing…
Read More
Year-Round Scenic Trails at Valles Caldera
AVID HIKER COCO RAE started volunteering at the Valles Caldera National Preserve in 2018, just as staff began identifying and creating a guide to its trail system. Some of her volunteer time went to…
Read More
A Jemez Pueblo Victory
I N 2012, Jemez Pueblo tribal and religious leadership filed a lawsuit to reclaim the Valles Caldera as their aboriginal and most sacred lands. In October 2024, a settlement between the National Park…
Read More
Find Vast Opportunities at Valles Caldera
WHEN JORGE SILVA-BAÑUELOS showed National Park Service staff the 40-acre parcel of Sulphur Springs land he wanted to add to the Valles Caldera National Preserve, they were more than a little hesitant…
Read More
Ross Anderson Is Blazing Trails
W HEN ROSS ANDERSON placed second at the Pro Speed Skiing World Championships in 2001, he became the first person of color ever to stand on a speed skiing podium. The lesser-known form of ski racing is…
Read More
Jemez Springs Shines Bright
FOR TWO DECEMBER EVENINGS, farolitos light the stacked sandstone walls of the mission church at the Jemez Historic Site. Even more of the paper lanterns follow the surrounding half-standing walls that…
Read More