The National Park Service is proposing infrastructure changes to Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico/Barbara Jensen file

Editor's note: The story has been updated to clarify some of the maintenance needs at Valles Caldera.

Planning is underway at Valles Caldera National Preserve to improve the visitor experience and resume an entrance fee collection program to generate revenues to address deferred maintenance in the park.

Most of the improvements the park envisions would be interim in nature – meaning they could be removed in the future based on decisions made in long-term management plans for the area while also allowing the park to more effectively manage visitors and protect park resources while these plans are being developed.

For the immediate future, though, park staff would like to make infrastructure improvements within the park’s Valle Grande District to enhance visitor experience, accessibility, interpretation of the park’s natural and cultural values, and recreational opportunities.

There are two distinct areas of the park that currently receive the majority of visitation: 1) the entrance station area situated in the middle of the Valle Grande near Cerro La Jara along the main park entrance road; and 2) the Baca Ranch Cabin District located on the north side of the Valle Grande comprising the various former ranch buildings constructed during the period of private ownership. The park is interested in making meaningful interim improvements in these locations that would support improving visitor enjoyment while managing visitors to protect park resources.

The park is considering how to make the Baca Ranch Cabin District more accessible to people with disabilities, and facilitate visitors accessing this area without the need for a backcountry vehicle permit, as is currently the case. To realize this goal, the park is considering the creation of a parking area near the cabin district, building improvements to make them accessible to people with disabilities, the addition of an interpretive trail in and around the cabin district, an automatic gate that does not require visitors to get out of their vehicle to open and close, subsurface utilities to existing historic buildings, and trailhead kiosks at existing trails that would provide better information to visitors.

The National Park Service welcomes other ideas you may have to improve visitor experience in the Baca Ranch Cabin District and how to protect important natural, prehistoric, and historic cultural resources known to be found in this area.

To reestablish the park fee collection program, several changes may be required at the entrance station area in the Valle Grande. These could include redesigning vehicle circulation to direct vehicles to a fee collection booth, improving visitor parking and trailhead kiosks to access existing trails in the area, removing legacy livestock corrals, and installing an automatic gate that does not require visitors to get out of their vehicle to open and close.

At the end of Fiscal 2018 (latest available NPS data), the park listed $6 million in deferrred maintenance, including $3.6 million for the Cabin District water system, and $268,000 to rehabilitate the historic foreman's cabin.

Park staff welcomes other ideas you may have to improve the functionality of this area while protecting the known prehistoric archaeological site within this area, as well as other important resources and values.

These improvements would remain in place over the short-term foreseeable future as the park works on completing a General Management Plan and Front Country Development Concept Plan. It is estimated that some of these interim improvements could be in place for 5-10 years, and their benefits and impacts should be considered within that context. Once the park has solidified the long-term vision and direction for the management of this area, facilities could be retained, removed, relocated, or modified in accordance with the desired long-term plan.

Park Service staff was not immediately available to explain why it would take so long to implement the plans, or when the general management plan for Valles Caldera might be completed.

Located in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, the 89,000-acre preserve was added to the National Park System in late 2014 via an act of Congress. It stands atop a 1.25-million-year-old dormant volcanic caldera nearly 14 miles wide. The most recent eruption since the caldera formed came about 68,000 years ago, according to the Park Service.

Project information can be viewed, and written comments submitted using the Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) system, retrieve “Valles Caldera Interim Infrastructure Improvements Project (106210)” to provide comments electronically. Comments may also be mailed or faxed to the address or fax number listed below. Comments will not be accepted by email or in any other way than those specified above. The public comment period for this project began on December 22 and is open through January 14, 2022. Comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. Mountain time, January 14, 2022.

Mail Comments to:

Valles Caldera National Preserve
Attn: Brian Smith
PO Box 359
Jemez Springs, NM 87025

Fax Comments to:

575-829-4141
Attn: Brian Smith
Valles Caldera National Preserve