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Jémez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway
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The Jemez Mountain Trail twists through time and terrain. Bubbling hot springs, vermillion desert cliffs, and snowy alpine peaks surround visitors driving from a million-year-old volcano caldera to 13th century Native dwellings to a museum showcasing the birth of the atomic age. The 66-mile byway begins at the junction of U.S. 550 and N.M. 4 northwest of Bernalillo in the pastoral village of San Ysidro, named for the patron saint of farmers. Make the whole loop, or head off from Los Alamos toward Española or Santa Fe. It makes a delightful day’s jaunt from the Albuquerque or Santa Fe area. www.jemezmountaintrail.org
South Central Trail
Coronado State Monument Spanish explorer Coronado was thought to have camped here while looking for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold. On U.S. 550 just before the trail commences, the monument includes the partially reconstructed ruins of the ancient Kuaua Pueblo. Polychrome murals found in an onsite kiva can be viewed in Kuaua Hall, and mural reproductions are mounted in the original kiva. The visitor center displays both Native and Spanish artifacts. www.nmmonuments.org
Jémez Pueblo
Jémez Pueblo sits about five miles from San Ysidro, the trail’s gateway village, at southern end of majestic Cañon de San Diego. The 3,400 tribal members reside predominantly in the single Pueblo village, Walatowa, where the visitor center and small museum is found. Check out traditional Jemez foods, and striking arts and crafts, particularly pottery, at roadside stands in the beautiful Red Rocks area. The Pueblo offers a 1.5-mile guided tour of Red Rock Canyon Trail most days, a great way to take in the scenery and learn more about the culture, past and present. The Pueblo has preserved its complex ancient Towa language, the only culture to speak this language. www.jemezpueblo.org
Phone (575) 834-7235
Jémez Springs
Below the vermillion mesas along N.M. 4 sits the quaint village of Jémez Springs. A good spot for a meal and a bit of shopping, Jemez Springs offers outfitting for hiking, mountain biking, camping, or fishing, and a good-size helping of Western fun. Don’t miss the vintage bath house (described below), country store, or real saloon complete with swinging doors. www.jemezsprings.org
Jémez Springs Bath House
One of the best reasons to visit the Jémez Mountains is this historic mineral springs bath house, sitting on the Jémez Springs village plaza. Dating to the 1870s, the bath house surrounds bubbling natural springs. Owned by the village and recently restored in vintage character. www.jemezspringsbathhouse.com
Phone (866) 204-8303
Jémez State Monument
The monument protects the ruins of Giusewa, one of numerous fortified villages built some 6 centuries ago in canyon lands and mesa tops by the ancestors of the Jemez people. Spaniards established the Catholic mission of San Jose de Los Jemez here about the same time as the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The church ruins sit beside those of Giusewa. The ancient name referred to “place of the boiling waters” and mineral hot springs steam through the area. Further up the road, pass formations Soda Dam and Battleship Rock, as well as cone-shaped “tent” rocks. www.nmmonuments.org
Ponderosa Winery
A side trip 3 miles to the east on NM 290 brings you to Ponderosa, a family-owned winery on the south facing Jemez Mountains, known for Rieslings and pinot noir. Tours and tastings. Closed Mondays. 3171 Highway 290 Ponderosa, NM www.ponderosawinery.com 575-834-7487
Northwest Trail:
Fenton Lake State Park
A west turn at La Cueva on 126 leads to the park, a popular year-round retreat surrounded by beautiful ponderosa pine forests. Fenton Lake features a cross-country ski and biathlon trail and wheelchair-accessible fishing platforms. Some of the trout from nearby Seven Springs hatchery (below) stock the lake. www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/Fenton.htm
La Cueva area
Seven Springs Loop Trail is popular with mountain bikers. Cross country skiers will find a trail bonanza within a 20 mile drive of La Cueva. East along N.M. 4, encounter five different ski areas, including an easy 2½ mile loop trail near Redondo Campground and more difficult trails in the Los Griegos area, which offers views of Redondo Peak and Valle Grande. West of La Cueva on N.M. 126, don't miss Valle San Antonio Road, a 5-mile, one-way trip to San Antonio Hot Spring. Soak in the hot spring and enjoy views of the Bandelier cliffs across the canyon. Note that highway 126 is unpaved between miles markers 33 and 13.5. www.jemezmountaintrail.org/northwest_lacueva.php
Seven Springs Fish Hatchery
Along the Rio Cebolla, the hatchery breeds native New Mexican cutthroat trout. Tours available. www.wildlife.state.nm.us/conservation/wildlife_management_areas/documents/SevenSprings.pdf
Phone: (505) 476-8000
Northeast Trail:
Bandelier National Monument
One of New Mexico’s most popular destinations, Bandelier gives visitors a firsthand look at ruins of many 13th-century Pueblo cliff dwellings hollowed out of the steep volcanic tuff walls. The flat Main Loop Trail, just over a mile in length, offers a wealth of sights, with short ladders into the ancestral dwellings, and many easy-to-find petroglyphs. Backcountry trails at Bandelier climb in and out of deep canyons and cross large flat mesas, showcasing the entire spectrum of volcanic geology. The beautiful 1930s-era visitor center was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park’s name honors Adolph Bandelier, the influential 19th-century historian and anthropologist who did much to research and preserve the ancient Pueblo heritage of New Mexico. www.nps.gov/band/
Los Alamos
The once top-secret scientific community of Los Alamos shaped the course of 20th-century history, and it continues to excel in innovative technology in the 21st century. The Los Alamos National Laboratory is closed to visitors, but the nearby Bradbury Science Museum (below) tells the history of the Manhattan Project, which created the first atomic weapons. The town of 14,000 sits mesa-top among breathtaking high desert scenery, so makes a great base for outdoor activities. www.visit.losalamos.com
Bradbury Science Museum
The Museum highlights the Los Alamos National Laboratory's current and historic projects related to defense and technology, and focuses on the Lab’s research into national and international economic, environmental, political, and social concerns. These exhibits, together with extensive educational and community programs, draw nearly 100,000 visitors a year. www.lanl.gov/museum/
1350 Central Avenue
Los Alamos, NM
Phone: (505) 667-4444
Valles Caldera National Preserve
A million-year-old collapsed volcano caldera some 15 miles wide, Valles Caldera is the centerpiece of the stunning Jemez volcanic range. Until recent years, this was the private Baca Ranch property. Now owned by the federal government, the preserve is designed to pay its own way. While open to the public, visitors require advance reservations. Don’t expect crowds, long lines, or a gift shop with souvenirs. Rich in history, wildlife, vistas, and serenity. A special winter attraction is the horse-drawn sleigh rides. www.vallescaldera.gov
Phone: (866) 382-5537
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