Valles Caldera National Preserve

San Antonio Cabin often housed cowboys when the preserve was privately-owned and operating as a ranch.
About 1.2 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created a 14-mile-wide circular depression in the earth now known as Valles Caldera. The preserve is known for its huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams. The area also preserves the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embraces a rich ranching history.
Map showing location of park.
A wide grassy valley stretches toward distant forested hills under a clear blue sky, with a long plume of light-colored smoke rising along the horizon.
National Park Service’s Pueblo Parks Group Implements Stage II Fire Restrictions
The Pueblo Parks Group will implement Stage II fire restrictions on June 25, 2026, due to heightened wildfire danger across Bandelier, Fort Union, Pecos, and Valles Caldera. These restrictions prohibit open flames, smoking outside enclosed spaces, off‑road engine use, and explosives, with additional limits on vehicle operations to reduce fire risk.
Scattered clouds over landscape view of winding river and brown grasslands
Photo by NPS Photo
A coyote walks across a frozen stream in a snowy valley.
Photo by NPS/Corey Lycopolus
San Antonio cabin under a mostly cloudy sky
Photo by NPS Photo
Two bull elk fighting.
Photo by NPS Photo / Dan Williams
A narrow stream meanders through a montane grassland.
Photo by NPS/Irene Owsley