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.
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.