Best known for mesas, sheer-walled canyons, and the ancestral Pueblo dwellings found among them, Bandelier also includes over 23, 000 acres of designated Wilderness. It was named for Adolph Bandelier, a 19th-century anthropologist.
Rising 200 feet above the valley floor, this massive sandstone bluff was a welcome landmark for weary travelers. A reliable waterhole hidden at its base made El Morro (or Inscription Rock) a popular campsite.
Fort Union was established in 1851 by Lieutenant Colonel Edwin V. Sumner as a guardian and protector of the Santa Fe Trail. During it's forty-year history, three different forts were constructed close together.
Established to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains more than 100 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave?the nation's deepest limestone cave at 1, 567 feet (478m) and third longest.
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.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves one of America's most significant and fascinating cultural and historic areas. Chaco Canyon was a major center of ancestral Puebloan culture between AD 850 and 1250.
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.
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument offers a glimpse of the homes and lives of the people of the Mogollon culture who lived in the Gila Wilderness from the 1280s through the early 1300s.
As you walk among the petroglyphs, you are not alone. This world is alive with the sights and sounds of the high desert - a hawk spirals down from the mesa top, a roadrunner scurries into fragrant sage, a desert millipede traces waves in the sand.
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.
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.
A vast landscape in the heart of New Mexico, Sevilleta National Wildllife Refuge supports four major ecological habitats, encompasses two mountain ranges, and contains stretches of the largest river in the state.
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.
Platoro Dam and Reservoir are part of the San Luis Valley Project in the south-central portion of the State of Colorado. Platoro Dam is on the Conejos River about 1 miles above the town of Platoro, Colorado.
Heron Dam and reservoir are part of the San Juan Chama Project. The reservoir is on Willow Creek just above the point where Willow Creek enters the Chama River.
Nambe Falls Dam and Reservoir are on the Rio Nambe 25 miles north of Santa Fe, NM Are featrues of the San Juan - Chama Project. Recreation at Nambe Falls is managed by the Nambe Pueblo under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation.
Percha Diversion Dam and Canal system, Rio Grande Project, are on the Rio Grande, 2 miles downstream from Caballo Dam. It diverts water into the Rincon Valley Main Canal. The dam was completed in 1918.
Avalon Dam and Reservoir, Carlsbad Project, are located on the Pecos River 3 miles north of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure constructed in 1907.
Elephant Butte Dam and Reservoir, features of the Rio Grande Project, are on the Rio Grande, 125 miles north of El Paso, Texas. Recreation at Elephant Butte Reservoir is managed by the New Mexico State Parks under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation.
El Vado Dam and Reservoir, features of the Middle Rio Grande Project, are located on the Rio Chama about 160 miles north of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sumner Dam and Lake Sumner, features of the Carlsbad Project, are on the Pecos River about 250 river miles north of Carlsbad and about 16 miles northwest of Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The Lake is 4, 500 water surface acres with 60 miles of shoreline.
Leasburg Diversion Dam, Rio Grande Project, is on the Rio Grande 62 miles north of El Paso at the head of Mesilla Valley. Recreation at Leasburg is managed by the New Mexico State Parks under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation.
Recreation at Brantley Dam, Reservoir, Carlsbad Project, is managed by New Mexico State Parks under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation. The park headquarters can be reached at 505-457-2384. Park open 24 hours. Fee area. Visitor center 4.
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 Three Rivers Petroglyphs are outstanding examples of prehistoric Jornada Mogollon rock art.
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.
The Valley of Fires Recreation Area is adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow, a BLM Wilderness Study Area. The lava flow is between 1, 500 and 2, 000 years old, making it the youngest such flow in the continental United States.
Developed trails for hiking and horseback riding wind through open meadows and canyons full of great views of the surrounding Lincoln National Forest, Sacramento and Capitan mountains.
Prominent landmark rising from an ancient seabed is a contemporary badlands with picnicing and camping set in canyon rim country.
Almost 50, 000 acres of solitude at elevations up to 8400* Popular hunting area.
1 of 15 wells along the old Magdalena Cattle Driveway trail between NM and Arizona, today*s site features camping and picnicing plus 2 short nature trails.
610-acre North Dunes are OHV, hiking, picnicing paradise; Mather*s and South Dune areas are hard to reach and exclude any vehicular use to remain wild.
Rugged mountains above Las Cruces feature numerous trails, AB Cox Visitor Center, Dripping Springs and Aguirre Springs campgrounds and popular La Cueva picnic area.
Hunting in season and very secluded hiking make this remote slickrock canyon worth the canoe or boat trip.
Scenic lake at base of Sangre de Cristo mountains offers boating, fishing, hiking and camping.
Over 27, 000 acres of sandy arroyos, slickrock and hills, contain 42 miles of marked trails for motorized and self-propelled biking, 4WD and off-road vehicles
Other volcanic cinder cones appear off to the west of rugged Cabezon Peak which has a trail for hiking/climbing from the nearby county road.
The approximately 27, 400 acres of public land within the Glade Run Trail System encompass a wide variety of topography, from rolling hills to sandy arroyo bottoms to sandstone slickrock.
Scenic east-west canyon with ample oudoor opportunities for hiking and primitive camping.
3811 acres of canyon backcountry offer terrific fishing, dispersed camping, hiking to partially restored Simon Ruin and much wildlife/bird watching.
El Malpais National Conservation Area was established by congress to protect the outstanding archaeological, geological, and wilderness resources surrounding El Malpais lava flows.
The Pecos River Corridor Recreation Area includes 6, 000 acres of land with access to the Pecos River and areas surrounding the Red Bluff Reservoir. This area provides opportunity for water-based recreation and semi-primitive motorized recreation.
Over 800 acres of fun is waiting for off-road enthusiasts at the Dunes Vehicle Recreation Area south of Farmington.
Simon Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) is about 3, 900 acres in size and is managed for semi-primitive forms of recreation including fishing, hiking, and backpacking.
The Chain of Craters Byway is located in Cibola County, near Grants, NM. From Interstate I-40, access may be gained from NM 117 or NM 53.To begin the byway from the south entrance, turn south onto NM 117 from I-40, approximately 5 miles east of Grants.
Historically, several human cultures have tried to carve a living from Ojito*s rugged terrain, rocky soils and scarce water supply.
A mountain peak dominates the one-mile Perea Nature Trail -- located just outside the village of San Ysidro in northwest New Mexico.
The San Ysidro Trials Area is a unique slot canyon area that offers recreation for anyone with an appreciation of natural wonders.
BLM*s West Malpais Wilderness, part of the El Malpais National Conservation Area, totals about 40, 000 acres. It encompasses grassland, pinon-juniper woodland, ponderosa pine parkland, and basalt lava fields.
Fort Stanton Recreation Area is comprised of 24, 000 acres of BLM lands within the old Fort Stanton Military Reservation.
The 1, 200-acre Black River Recreation Area is managed to provide low-impact recreation and environmental education opportunities while maintaining a healthy river system and riparian habitat.
Overlooking Las Cruces from the east are the Organ Mountains, a haven for hikers and adventure seekers alike.
The Gila Lower Box Canyon is a true oasis in the desert, 20 miles north of Lordsburg, New Mexico.
From surrounding flat country, spectacular granite and limestone ridges and rock formations rise up to encircle a secluded bowl of land called the Granite Gap near the Arizona border. The area is an excellent example of Chihuahuan desert vegetation.
A remnant of an ancient volcanic explosion, Kilbourne Hole was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1975. This crater can be found in a desert basin between the Potrillo Mountains and the Rio Grande in southern Dona Ana County.
Las Palomas Marsh is a natural area that is protected and managed for aquatic and riparian habitat. Depending on water levels, the area offers good shore and marsh birding; desert scrub bird species are numerous in the winter.
The Sierra Vista Trail is a 25-mile nonmotorized recreation trail along the western flank of the Organ Mountains and the eastern side of the Franklin Mountains.
The Soledad Canyon Day Use Area is at the juncture of two canyons -- Bar Canyon and Soledad Canyon -- and is in the western foothills of the Organ mountains.
Perched on the rugged breaks overlooking the Pecos River, Haystack Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area offers 1, 920 acres of trails to ride.
The 6, 000-acre Gordy's Hill Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area is a scenic dirtbike and ATV destination overlooking the Rio Grande Valley and Bosque with a tremendous variety of riding opportunities.
The Quebradas Backcountry Byway is an unpaved county road traversing about 24 miles of rugged, colorful landscapes east of Socorro.
The Socorro Nature Area is a 120-acre environmental education area in the Rio Grande Bosque. The area includes a *-mile self-guiding nature walk with interpretive signs, a pond, and amphitheatre. It also has picnic tables, a group shelter, and a restroom.
Cochiti Lake is located within the boundaries of the Pueblo de Cochiti Indian Reservation. Please observe and obey all Pueblo regulations. Do not trespass on lands closed to the public.
Ancient petroglyphs, marine fossils and tales of Spanish Conquistadors mark the past of Conchas Lake.
Impounds the Pecos River approximately 121 mi E of Albuquerque. Follow direction signs through city of Santa Rosa to the lake. The visitor center contains an interesting display on project area.
This 5, 200 surface acre reservoir offers some of the finest fishing in northern New Mexico. Reptile fossils 200 million years old have been found in the area. The area includes a fine panoramic view of the Cerro Pedernal from the dam.
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.
Within the short grass prairie of the southern Great Plains lie the Kiowa and Rita Blanca National Grasslands. These grasslands encompass approximately 230, 000 acres in six counties within New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma.