Mammoths, giant bison, and short-faced bears were witness to the first tremblings of the earth and firework-like explosions of molten rock thousands of feet into the air.
El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area was established in 1987 and is a relative newcomer to the National Park System. This monument preserves 114, 277 acres of which 109, 260 acres are federal and 5, 017 acres are private.
Between 1821 and 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was primarily a commercial highway connecting Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. From 1821 until 1846, it was an international commercial highway used by Mexican and American traders.
In 1838, the United States government forcibly removed more than 16, 000 Cherokee Indian people from their homelands in Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia, and sent them to Indian Territory (today known as Oklahoma).
At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain ringed valley called the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico.
Added to the National Trails System in October 2000, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior) National Historic Trail recognizes the primary route between the colonial Spanish capital of Mexico City and the Spanish provincial capitals
Located where the Chihuahuan Desert meets the southern plains, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for some of the rarest creatures in New Mexico.
Bosque del Apache, which means "woods of the Apache", was named for the people who often camped in the riverside forest. Today it is know as one of the most spectacular Refuges in North America.
With the Rocky Mountains to the west, the Great Plains to the east, and the Chihuahuan Desert to the south, Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge encompasses a diversity of habitats.
Orilla Verde Recreation Area, nestled along the banks of the Rio Grande, offers visitors a wide variety of recreational opportunities. All facilities are located along the Rio Grande within the steep-walled Rio Grande Gorge.
The Rio Grande Gorge is a rugged, steep-walled canyon that cuts into the volcanic plateaus of north-central New Mexico. The Wild Rivers Recreation Area provides splendid views into this 800-foot-deep gorge.
24 mile-long dirt road east of the Rio Grande meanders through interesting and diverse geology and scenery.
Almost 50, 000 acres of solitude at elevations up to 8400* Popular hunting area.
Rugged mountains above Las Cruces feature numerous trails, AB Cox Visitor Center, Dripping Springs and Aguirre Springs campgrounds and popular La Cueva picnic area.
Meandering drive on dirt roads takes you to ruins of 1880s mining town of Lake Valley where several buildings still stand.
For 30 miles, the Byway travels the transition from the cholla cactus of the Chihuahuan Desert to the pines of the Guadalupe Escarpment.
El Malpais National Conservation Area was established by congress to protect the outstanding archaeological, geological, and wilderness resources surrounding El Malpais lava flows.
A meandering 48-mile drive on paved roads takes visitors through ranching and mining country and past the ruins of the 1880s mining town of Lake Valley.
The mining town of Lake Valley was founded in 1878 after silver was discovered. Almost overnight, the small frontier town blossomed into a major settlement with a population of 4, 000 people.
During colonial years, New Mexico was tied to the outside world by this one thoroughfare, El Camino Real, which descended the Rio Grande valley from Santa Fe on its way to Mexico City to the south.
Just north of Albuquerque is one of New Mexico`s most spectacular scenic drives. It is a journey through time. It takes you past amazing geologic formations, ancient Indian ruins, an Indian Pueblo, and the area`s logging, mining and ranching heritage.
The Santa Fe Trail was the first of America's great Trans-Mississippi routes.
Follow the ghosts of famous lawmen, outlaws and warriors through the rugged beauty of the million-acre Lincoln National Forest.
The Cibola National Forest is 1, 949, 637 acres in size. Elevation ranges from 5, 000-11, 301 feet. Our forest includes the Datil, Gallinas, Magdalena, Bear, Manzano, Sandia, San Mateo, Mt. Taylor, and Zuni Mountains.
Located in south-central New Mexico, lies the Lincoln National Forest, birthplace of Smokey Bear, the living symbol of forest fire prevention. The Forest covers over 1.1 million acres stretching north from Texas past the Capitan Mountains.
Some of the finest mountain scenery in the Southwest is found in the 1.5 million acres covered by the Carson National Forest. Elevations rise from 6, 000 feet to 13, 161 feet at Wheeler Peak, the highest in New Mexico. Big game animals roam the Carson.
Located above the desert of southwest New Mexico, lies the Gila National Forest comprised of 3.3 million acres of forest and rangeland. This is a rugged realm of cactus and grass, juniper and pine, spruce and aspen, and few people.
Some of the finest mountain scenery in the Southwest is found in the 1, 567, 000 acres covered by the Santa Fe National Forest. Elevations rise from 5, 300 to 13, 101 feet at the summit of Truchas Peak, located within the Pecos Wilderness.