New Mexico Natural Park Wonders
National and State Wonders Found in the Land of Enchantment State:
National Preserves:
National Recreation Areas:
National Grasslands:
National Scenic Roads and Byways:
New Mexico, known for having the largest national forest in the U.S. (Gila National Forest and Gila Wildnerness), also has the lowest water-to-land ratio of all 50 states (with most of New Mexico's lakes actually reservoirs).
Let us be your guide to discovering these natural wonders. Follow the links below to obtain more information, insider tips, and pictures, as well as ideas for where to stay when visiting.
National Parks:
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
National Monuments:
Aztec Ruins National Monument. Established: 1923. [Official Site] Bandelier National Monument. Established: 1916. [Official Site] Capulin Volcano National Monument. Established: 1916. [Official Site] El Malpais National Monument. Established: 1987. [Official Site] El Morro National Monument. Established: 1906 [Official Site]Fort Union National Monument. Established: 1956. [Official Site] Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Established: 1907. [Official Site] Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Established: Established: 2001. [Official Site] Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. Established: 2014. [Official Site] Petroglyph National Monument. Established: 1990. [Official Site] Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. Established: 2009. [Official Site] Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Established: 2013. [Official Site] Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. Established: 1909. [Official Site] White Sands National Monument. Established: 1933. [Official Site]
National Preserves:
Valles Caldera National Preserve [Official Site]
National Scenic Trails:
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail [Official Site]
National Recreation Trails:
Bandelier Backcountry Trail Canones Creek Trail Canyon Trail Catwalk Trail Chupadera Wilderness Trail Columbine-Twining Trail Dripping Springs Trail System Fort Bayard Wood Haul Trail Jicarita Peak Trail Organ Mountain Trail Rim Trail South Boundary Trail Tent Rocks Trail Winsor Trail
National Recreation Areas:
Angel Peak National Recreation Area. Location: northwest New Mexico, administered by the Bureau of Land Management. [Official Site] Datil Well Recreation Area. Location: west central New Mexico, near the Cibola National Forest, and administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Orilla Verde Recreation Area. Location: north central New Mexico, along banks of the Rio Grande, within the Rio Grande Gorge, and administered by the Bureau of Land Management. [Official Site] Valley of Fires National Recreation Area. Location: south central New Mexico, adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow, and administered by the Bureau of Land Management. [Official Site] Wild Rivers National Recreation Area. Location: northeast New Mexico, including parts of the Rio Grande and Red River, and administered by the Bureau of Land Management. [Official Site]
National Forests:
Carson National Forest. Location: Taos, New Mexico. [Official Site] Cibola National Forest. Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico. [Official Site] Coronado National Forest. Location: Tucson, Arizona (as well as New Mexico). [Official Site] Gila National Forest. Location: Silver City, New Mexico. [Official Site] Lincoln National Forest. Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico. [Official Site] Santa Fe National Forest. Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico. [Official Site]
National Grasslands:
Kiowa National Grassland [Official Site] Rita Blanca National Grassland [Official Site]
National Wildlife Refuges:
Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge San Andres National Wildlife Refuge Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
National Wilderness Areas:
Aldo Leopold Wilderness Apache Kid Wilderness Bandelier Wilderness Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Blue Range Wilderness Bosque del Apache Wilderness Capitan Mountains Wilderness Carlsbad Caverns Wilderness Cebolla Wilderness Chama River Canyon Wilderness Cruces Basin Wilderness
Dome Wilderness Gila Wilderness Latir Peak Wilderness Manzano Mountain Wilderness Ojito Wilderness Pecos Wilderness Sabinoso Wilderness Salt Creek Wilderness San Pedro Parks Wilderness Sandia Mountain Wilderness West Malpais Wilderness Wheeler Peak Wilderness White Mountain Wilderness Withington Wilderness
National Conservation Areas:
El Malpais National Conservation Area [Official Site] Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area [Official Site]
National Scenic Roads and Byways:
Billy the Kid Trail Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway El Camino Real National Scenic Byway Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway Historic Route 66 Jemez Mountain Trail Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway Turquoise Trail
New Mexico State Parks, Campgrounds, Recreational Areas:
Bluewater Lake State Park Bottomless Lakes State Park Brantley Lake State Park Caballo Lake State Park Cimarron Canyon State Park City Of Rocks State Park Clayton Lake State Park Conchas Lake State Park Coyote Creek State Park El Vado Lake State Park Elephant Butte Lake State Park Fenton Lake State Park Heron Lake State Park
Hyde Memorial State Park Leasburg Dam State Park Living Desert State Park Manzano Mountains State Park Morphy Lake State Park Navajo Lake State Park Oasis State Park Oliver Lee Memorial State Park Pancho Villa State Park Percha Dam State Park Rio Grande Nature Center Rockhound State Park Santa Rosa Lake State Park Storrie Lake State Park Sugarite Canyon State Park Sumner Lake State Park Ute Lake State Park Villanueva State Park
State Scenic Roads and Byways:
Abo Pass Trail Chain of Craters Back Country Byway Corrales Road Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway Guadalupe Back Country Byway High Road to Taos La Frontera del Llano Byway Lake Valley Back Country Byway Mesalands Scenic Byway Narrow-Gauge Scenic Byway Puye Cliffs Scenic Byway Quebradas Back Country Byway Salt Missions Trail Sandia Crest Byway Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway Socorro Historical District Scenic Byway Sunspot Scenic Byway Trail of the Ancients - NM Wild Rivers Back Country Scenic Byway
New Mexico Tourism: 505-827-7400