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The Jemez
Mountains have been our backyard for many years. Most of the Jemez is part
of either the
Sante Fe National Forest or the National Park System; as such, it is open to
many types of recreation. Numerous pull-offs, dedicated camping areas, hot
springs, and
trails are available through-out the mountains. Here, more than anywhere
else, we spend our free time hiking, climbing, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and
generally just playing.
Part of the Valle Grande
caldera as seen from SR-4
Jemez Mountains Photo Gallery
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Jemez Mountains Maps
Important Jemez Links
Geology of the Jemez Mountains
The Jemez mountains are the
remnant of a series of major volcanic eruptions that occurred
about one million years ago. The volcanic activity in the Jemez
complex probably began in the Eocene era and has continued to
about 50,000 years ago. Redondo Peak, nearly 12,000 feet above
sea level, is a remnant of the original peak. The peaks on the
rim of the caldera are between 10,000 and 11,000 feet above sea
level.
The eruptions of 1 million years ago ejected around 100 cubic
miles of ash leaving a caldera 20 miles across. The tuff
deposits on the outside of the caldera are nearly 1000 feet deep
in some places. Erosion has cut steep canyons through the tuff. These canyons include Frijoles, Water, Valle, Pueblo, Los
Alamos, Guaje and Santa Clara. Small streams are found in some
of these canyons.
The tuff deposits on the eastern edge of the Caldera are called
the Pajarito (Little Bird) Plateau. The Pajarito plateau slopes
gently downward to the East toward the Rio Grande river at a
rate of about 1.5%. The Rio Grande river, near Los Alamos, is at
an elevation of about 5000 ft above sea level.
Compliments of
Sumner Associates.
Valles Caldera National
Preserve
The Valles
Caldera National Preserve is one of the most beautiful and unique
landscapes in the Jemez Mountains. It includes 88,900 acres
of mountain grasslands, peaks over 11,000 feet, 27 miles of streams,
and the headwaters of the "Wild and Scenic Jemez River".
It was
formerly part of the vast, privately owned, Baca Ranch. The
Valle Grande caldera lies at the heart of the preserve, and
encompasses most of a 12–15 mile wide circular caldera (a sunken
volcano formed by the collapse of volcanic domes after a massive
eruption). The basin is approximately 3,000 ft deep measured
from the surrounding rim of mountains. Like other calderas, it
has hot springs, gas vents, and other volcanic features.
Wildlife
include 17 threatened or endangered species such as the Mexican
spotted owl, goshawk, Jemez Mountains salamander, and the Rio Grande
cutthroat trout. The preserve also is home to elk, mule deer,
black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, and golden and bald
eagles.
The management
of the preserve limits the number of people and the number of
activities rather carefully, so visitors are not always able to see
as much of the preserve as they wish on a single visit.
Hiking, fishing, hunting, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking
are sometimes available via day permits purchased on site or on the
web.
Views from SR-4 are spectacular, and pull-outs are used by visitors with
spotting scopes for elk watching, and astronomical telescopes for
dark sky viewing. Bring a chair and enjoy!
Visit the
Valles Caldera National
Preserve Website
Village of Jemez
Springs & Local Hot Springs
The Village of
Jemez Springs is the focal point for most visits to the Jemez
Mountains. Their website offers information on lodging,
dining, shopping, artists, services, recreation, hot springs, and
much more. Click
here
to visit their site. The various indoor and outdoor
hot springs are popular Jemez destinations.
Bandelier National
Monument
Bandelier
National Monument is located on the eastern slopes of the Jemez
Mountains (near Los Alamos) and is one of our favorite areas for
hiking, running, and backpacking. Bandelier is best known for
mesas, sheer-walled canyons, and the several thousand ancestral
Pueblo dwellings found among them. Bandelier includes over
23,000 acres of designated Wilderness. The best-known
archeological sites are in Frijoles Canyon near the Visitor Center.
These dwellings were inhabited from the 1100s into the mid-1500s.
Earlier groups had used the area for thousands of years. The
park was named after Adolph Bandelier, a 19th-century
anthropologist.
Visit the
Bandelier National Monument
Website
San Pedro Parks
Wilderness
The San
Pedro Parks Wilderness includes over 41,000 acres of the Sante
Fe National Forest. The average elevation is 10,000 feet.
The Wilderness has no dramatic peaks or picturesque cliffs;
instead, the area is composed of numerous rectangular meadows or
"parks", surrounded by raised dense stands of Engelmann spruce,
mixed conifers, and small stands of aspen. Clear streams
wander through the forest openings and rarely send trout-seeking
anglers away empty handed. Snow usually covers the ground by
November. Rain falls frequently in July and August making
the meadows wet and rich with bluegrass, oatgrass, sedge, rush
and the extravagant Rocky Mountain iris. Hikes to the
western edge of the park provide incredible views of the desert
from mile high vistas. Sunsets from these vantage points
are are well worth the hike.
Fine
campsites with abundant water and many miles on nine major
trails make this area appealing to backpackers. Trails
receiving the heaviest use are the Vacas Trail to San Pedro Park
(10.69 miles) and the Palomas Trail (3.63 miles) which joins the
Vacas Trail. I find it rather easy to get lost as the
numerous parks form a rectangular maze, with each individual
park looking very much like the others, and all having trails
leading in and out. Fall hunting season brings plenty of
visitors after elk, deer, bear, turkeys and grouse. Heavy human
use, especially horsepackers, has had a damaging influence on
much of this area.
Easiest
Access: From just north of Cuba, NM, on State Highway 44;
turn east on State Highway 126 for about 11 miles; turn north on
Forest Service Road 70 for 2.7 miles to the Vacas Trailhead with
a parking lot.
A
Wilderness map is available for three dollars from Sante Fe
district ranger stations.
Rock Climbing
The Jemez
Mountains have several areas that are quite nice for rock climbing:
Las Conchas is a beautiful heavily bolted rhyolitic tuff canyon with
a steam flowing through it. The
Cattle Call Wall and Gateway Rock contain the most popular
routes in the area. Cattle Call Wall can be fully top roped,
although it does have several bolted routes. The
inner canyon contains many fine sport
routes, that are harder to find. Las Conchas
is on NM 4 between mile marker 36 and 37 on the north side of the
road, next to "Las Conchas Fishing Access". Cattle Call Wall
is close to the road.
Gillman Canyon
is a beautiful granite canyon with a raging river flowing through
it. It has several bolted, 5.10 and up, multi-pitch climbs on
excellent orange granite. A river crossing is necessary to get
to the routes. No route guides exist. This is true
adventure climbing. Just north of the town of Canon on SR-4,
take FR-376 (SR-485) to the town of Gillman. Just pass Gillman
you enter the canyon; look for the old rail road tunnels. Most
climbs are on the right side of the road.
The prow of
Battleship Rock on SR-4 is an exciting trad climb. It is
seldom done due to loose rock for the entire first pitch. The
second and final pitch is a dead vertical 5.9; it is a very difficult to
protect off-width layback for 40 feet. Protect with a cam at
the beginning of the crack, and a cam after 20 feet.
The only
bouldering problems I have heard about are at the small town of
Ponderosa. See:
Ponderosa Bouldering . I do not boulder, so I can't
comment further.
Cochiti Mesa,
on the southern slopes of the Jemez mountains, has world class,
welded tuff, sport routes. The following route guides by
Randal Jett and Matt Samet are reproduced with permission from their
excellent but out of print "Sport Climbing in New Mexico":
Cochiti Mesa Miniguide Part One (10Mb)
Eagle Canyon, Jimmy Cliff, & Cochiti Mesa
Cochiti Mesa Miniguide Part Two
(5MB) Vista Point Overlook, Cacti Cliff, & Disease Wall
Nearby White
Rock Canyon is a sport and top ropers Mecca. Hundreds of
single pitch dead vertical climbs hang on the side of cliffs that
line the Rio Grande Gorge just east of Los Alamos. The rock is
high quality basalt. Half are bolted, have are free.
Many are wonderful trad climbs up long cracks. "The Overlook"
crag is a must for visitors. Click
here for
route guides for all White Rock crags.
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