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With landscapes that inspire, photographers find diversity and beauty in every corner of the state.
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Chaco Culture National Historical ParkChaco Culture National Historical Park, approximately three hours northwest of Albuquerque off of U.S. 550, protects the ruins of 120 ancient puebloan sites spanning from 850 to 1250. Chaco Canyon was the major religious and economic center for the pueblo culture. All of New Mexico’s 19 pueblos and the Hopi Pueblo in Arizona claim ancestral ties to Chaco. They consider the site sacred. The roads are rough and there are few amenities, so travel accordingly. (505) 786-7014. Photo by Laurence Parent |
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White Sands National MonumentWhite Sands National Monument is 115 square miles of gypsum sand dunes, 15 miles southwest of Alamogordo off of U.S. 70. It is the largest pure gypsum dune field in the world. Many species of plants and animals have specially to live in this extreme environment. The dunes formed after millennia of gypsum-rich water evaporating in the Tularosa Basin. It is easy to become disoriented among the dunes; know how to get back to your vehicle. Occasionally, U.S. 70 is closed during missile testing at the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. (575) 679-2599. Photo by Laurence Parent |
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Carlsbad Caverns National ParkWithin the boundaries of Carlsbad Caverns National Park are 113 caves that formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone, the remnant of an enormous reef left from this area was a shallow sea 250 million years ago. They are among the largest of caves found in North America. You can tour the main caverns (pictured) or opt for a ranger-led tour of undeveloped “wild” caves. The main cavern is also the home to a halfmillion Mexican free-tail bats, which put on a show every evening when they leave the cave to hunt insects. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is 304 miles south of Albuquerque. (575) 785-2232. Photo by Laurence Parent |
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Sandía MountainsAn early fall snow blankets the Sandía Mountains east of Albuquerque as the cottonwood forest lining the Río Grande, called the bosque (Spanish for woods), turns autumn gold. Hike its trails and learn about the the river’s ecosystem at the Río Grande Nature Center in Albuquerque (2901 Candelaria NW, 505-344-7240). Photo by Steve Larese |
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Bandelier National MonumentAlcove House in Bandelier National Monument, near Los Alamos, is accessed after a steep 140-foot climb up four ladders. The reconstructed ceremonial chamber is at the end of a familyfriendly 1.2-mile hike through ruins-fi lled Frijoles Canyon. There are more ruins along 70-miles of trails in the backcountry for more serious explorers. Ancestors of today’s pueblos lived here in the 13th century, building homes into the side of volcanic-ash cliff s and farming the fertile canyon bottom. (505) 672-0343. Photo by Steve Larese |
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Very Large Array Radio TelescopesThe Very Large Array, one of the world's premier astronomical radio observatories, consists of 27 radio antennas in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustin, 50 miles west of Socorro on U.S. 60. It gathers waves emitted by astronomical objects, such as black holes and quasars, which are beyond the visible light spectrum. Each antenna is 82 feet in diameter. The data is combined electronically to give the resolution of an antenna 22 miles across. There is a museum, visitors center, and gift shop at the site. www.vla.nrao.edu, (575) 835-7243, (575) 835-7410 (gift shop). Photo by Ephraín Padró |
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Valle VidalValle Vidal (Valley of Life) is a 100,000-acre section of the Carson National Forest north of Taos that was donated to the U.S. Forest Service by Pennzoil in 1982. It is home to many species of animals, including large elk herds, and its streams are choked with trout, including the Río Grande cutthrout. Hiking, fishing, and hunting are popular in this remote area. Photo by Steve Larese |
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Bosque del Apache National Wildlife RefugeThis protected 57,000-acre wetland is a habitat for 340 species of birds, including the sandhill crane. Many other species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish call this area home. It is 20 miles south of Socorro, about a 90-minute drive south of Albuquerque. (575) 835-1828. Photo by Laurence Parent |
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Ship Rock (Tsé Bit'a'í)The sun sets on 1,800-foot Ship Rock, the 30-million-year-old core of an extinct volcano in the Four Corners area of the Navajo Reservation. Anglo settlers thought it looked like a clipper ship, hence its name. The geological formation plays an important part in the Navajo origin story. The Diné (as the Navajo call themselves) call the formation Tsé Bit'a'í, which means "rock with wings." According to legend, a huge bird brought the Navajo people to the Southwest on its back, then turned to stone. Ship Rock is 12 miles southwest of the town of Shiprock and is seen west of U.S. 491 (formerly U.S. 666). Photo by Steve Larese |
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El Morro National MonumentJerusalem artichokes dot a field in front of the mesa at El Morro National Monument. El Morro is home to Inscription Rock, named for the signatures carved into it, including that of Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate in 1605 (15 years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock). A natural pool made this area a resting place in the harsh terrain, and travelers would pass the time carving their names into the cliff face near the water. Native American petroglyphs predate European signatures, and the ruin of Atsinna, an ancestral pueblo village that dates to 1300, rests on top of the protective mesa, accessible by a two-mile hike. To reach El Morro from Albuquerque, take I-40 to Grants (about an hour), then take Exit 81 for 42 miles west along picturesque N.M. 53. (505) 783-4226. Photo by Steve Larese |
