Valles Caldera National Preserve (New Mexico)

About 1.25 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 13-mile wide crater-shaped landscape now known as the Valles Caldera. The preserve is known for its huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams and for preserving the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embracing a rich ranching history.

National Park Service

On October 1, the National Park Service assumed management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, a 89,000 acre former ranch in the Jemez Mountains. It closed for the season the day before!

The Preserve had been under a unique trust management since it was acquired in 2000 for $101 million. In brief, it was managed by individuals who seemed to largely confuse their hired role with personal ownership. Access was severely limited and eventually the complaints led to the transfer to a presumably more public oriented Park Service.

So you can imagine how surprised we were yesterday when an un-inviting (I’m being nice) park ranger told us access was closed until May — except for the mile drive down to the visitor center. In other words, closed to general public access for seven months out of 12. Why?

These photos were taken along the short drive to hear the inexplicable bad news. Below the gallery is a description of the Valle Grande from Scott Momaday’s magnificent House Made of Dawn.

Click any image for larger versions. Note the damage from fires on the slopes.

Of all the places that he knew, this valley alone could reflect the great spatial majesty of the sky. It scooped out of the dark peaks like the well of a great, gathering storm, deep umber and blue and smoke-colored. The view across the diameter was magnificent; it was an unbelievably great expanse. As many times as he had been there in the past, each new sight of it always brought him up short, and he had to catch his breath. Just there, it seemed, a strange and brilliant light lay upon the world, and all the objects in the landscape were washed clean and set away in the distance.