In the heart of the Jemez Mountains, a meadow over 13 miles across flourishes in the crater left behind by an ancient volcano. The Valles Caldera’s vast open grassland is surrounded on all sides by mountains and pines while the caldera floor is covered in hot springs, streams, fumaroles, natural gas seeps, tall grasses and often times wild wolves and even Lobos. A surreal setting in any season, the caldera offers hikes unlike anywhere else in the Land of Enchantment, most notably those that lead to the calderas highest point. A resurgent lava dome that formed following the volcano’s initial eruption, Redondo Peak rises up from the crater to offer an overlook of the endless grasslands and streams. Be it under the cover of the unpolluted night sky, through the deep snow of winter or through green glasses thriving in the summer sun, the Valles Caldera is an incredible destination not too far from home.

Valles Caldera National Preserve