There are 15 National Park Services in the state of New Mexico. The state has two National Parks – Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands. The rest of the national park services consists of a stunningly scenic National Preserve as well as wonderful National Historic Trails and National Historic Parks. You’ll also find 13 National Monuments – only the states of Arizona and California have more than this number. So, whether you are into caves, dunes or volcanos, ancient pueblos or atomic bombs, The Land of Enchantment has a national park service that you’re sure to love. So, if you are ready to explore the state’s many wonders, here’s our list of the best national parks in New Mexico.
7 Best National Parks in New Mexico
1. Carlsbad Caverns – National Park
The Carlsbad Caverns National Park contains more than 119 limestone caves. The park also protects a portion of the Capitan Reef – one of the best-preserved, exposed Permian-age fossil reefs in the world. Not only that, but the Carlsbad Caverns National Park is home to one of just a few protected portions of the northern Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem. This is a remarkable area to visit and explore both above and below the ground. The Carlsbad Caves are also famous for their beautiful, decorative rock formations like the stalactites that cling to the roof of the Big Room.
2. White Sands – National Park
The White Sands National Park is an otherworldly landscape. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The shimmering, glimmering, white sands of New Mexico rise from the heart of the Tularosa Basin. It is one world’s great natural wonders. The great white, wavey dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed hundreds of miles of desert and the National Park protects these as well as the plant and animal life that live here. On a visit, you can rent sledges to slide down the dunes and you can even join the park rangers on a hike of the dunes under the magical glow of the full moon.
3. Valles Caldera – National Preserve
The Valles Caldera is a beautiful landscape born from a violent eruption. Some 1.25 million years ago, a volcano erupted and created the 13-mile (21km) wide circular depression. This depression is now flourishing with large mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams. The National Preserve also protects the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embraces the regions rich ranching history. On a visit, you can learn more about the historic cabins and prehistoric sites.
4. Salinas Pueblo Missions – National Monument
Nestled in Mountainair, in the middle of New Mexico, you’ll find the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. The monument is actually three distinct sites – three Spanish missions. These give a glimpse into a unique time in the history of the earliest contact between Pueblo Indians and Spanish Colonials. Spanish Franciscans began construction of the missions in 1622 and they finished in 1635. At the National Monument, you can see the ruins of the two mission churches – Quarai, Abó, and Gran Quivira. You can also see the partially excavated pueblo of Las Humanas aka, the Gran Quivira pueblo.
5. Santa Fe – National Historic Trail
As you follow the Santa Fe National Historic Trail, you’ll traverse through five states and discover adventure and evidence of the travellers of long ago who made this remarkable journey long before you did. Along the trail, you pass historic places of importance. Those in New Mexico include Santa Fe Plaza, Rabbit Ears Mountain, McNees Crossing and the Kiowa and Rita Blanca National Grasslands.
6. Capulin Volcano – National Monument
Capulin Volcano is part of the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field. The volcano last erupted roughly 56,000 to 62,000 years ago and is now considered extinct. There are plenty of hiking trails up and around the volcano and from the rim, you get sweeping views of four different states. Apart from hiking, you can also enjoy wildlife watching. The area is home to a rich diversity of plant and animal life including 73 species of birds as well as Mule deer, elk, black bears, coyotes, and mountain lions. With one of the darkest night skies in the country, this is also a terrific spot for stargazing.
7. Manhattan Project – National Historical Park
The Manhattan Project ushered in the nuclear age with the development of the world’s first atomic bombs. The building of atomic weapons began in 1942 in three secret cities across America. These cities were Oak Ridge in Tennesse, Hanford/Richland in Washington state, and Los Alamos in New Mexico. The Los Alamos Manhattan Project location was home to a secret laboratory where scientists designed and built these atomic weapons. Today, at the Manhattan Project Visitor Center in Los Alamos, you’ll find plenty of historic and cultural resources to explore to learn more about its fascinating part of American history.
