Valles Caldera National Preserve
A high-forest drive brings you to the awe-inspiring Valles (vah-yes) Grande, which at 14 miles in diameter is one of the world's largest calderas. Created from the eruption and collapse of a 14,000-foot peak more than 1¼ million years ago, the flow out the bottom of this famed caldera created the Pajarito Plateau and the ash from the eruption spread as far east as Kansas. You can't imagine the volcanic crater's immensity until you spot what look like specks of dust on the lush meadow floor and realize they're elk. The National Park Service manages this 89,000-acre multiuse tract of land, which became a national preserve in 2000. It's especially popular for its variety of gorgeous hiking trails as well as for wildlife watching, fly-fishing, mountain biking and e-biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and horseback riding. From June through September, rangers offer free guided hikes around Cerro la Jara (with a focus on volcanos) and through the Cabin District and History Grove, where you'll learn about the caldera's 11,000-year human history. Stargazing programs and moonlit walks are also offered occasionally, as are fly-fishing clinics. For the foreseeable future, while the park service continues to improve the preserve's infrastructure, there's no fee to enter; check the website for updates.
