On the morning of our second day, we hopped on NM and drove east to Valles Caldera National Preserve. This site preserves (lol) a former volcanic caldera that collapsed from an eruption. It offers absolutely beautiful views of mountain meadows and hills. It’s really easy to imagine yourself living in one of the preserve’s cabins and waking up to that view every day.
Address and Location
You’ll find the main Valle Grande Entrance for Valles Caldera National Preserve near mile marker 39.2 on NM Highway 4. The entrance sits about 20 miles from Los Alamos. If you take Highway 4, you will drive through an ID checkpoint for the National Laboratory. Be prepared to show photo IDs for any adults in the car. This portion of Highway 4 is very hilly with lots of turns. Be sure you have at least a half tank of gas to make it to the park and inside to explore the site. Ask me how I know this.
Cost
Exploring Valles Caldera National Preserve costs $25 per vehicle. Entrances fees for motorcyclists and individuals ages 16 and older cost $15. Passes are good for seven days. You can purchase an annual pass for $45. As always, America the Beautiful Pass holders get in free. You will need to stop in the Entrance Station to get a vehicle permit. Most of the site is back country, and the rangers use the tags to track cars going in and out. Return the permit on your way out of the park.
What to Do
As you’re driving to the park, be sure to take in the views. You can stop at several pull-offs along NM 4. You’ll be able to see the remnants of the volcanic crater and get a good idea of the scale.
Because our fuel light came on as we turned in to the park, we wound up cutting our trip shorter than I planned. I originally planned to drive further in the park and hike some of the shorter trails. Instead, we turned down the road to the Historic Cabin District. Several cabins were built over the years, including the Ranch Foreman’s Cabin. If it looks familiar, it’s the cabin used on the Netflix show Longmire.
For those of you with more than 2 gallons of gas in your car, stay on the main road and head further into the park. You’ll find some sites for hiking and access points for getting further into the back country. And keep an eye out for wildlife. We saw several prairie dogs at dens across the park.
New Mexico National Park Service sites: Aztec Ruins National Monument | White Sands National Park | Fort Union National Historic Site | Pecos National Historic Park | Los Alamos | Bandelier National Monument | Carlsbad Caverns National Park
