There are 15 New Mexico National Parks including National Monuments, Carlsbad Cavern National Park, National Historic Parks, and more. The National Parks in New Mexico are some of the coolest to explore with great Pueblo historic sites.
National Parks in New Mexico
New Mexico, Land of Enchantment, has a lot to offer in the way of National Parks and monuments. Like many of the western states, there are large tracts of land that are dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history and legacy of this country.
Beautiful rocks, mysterious civilizations, and bats escaping out of the most beautiful cave in our country are a few things that come to mind when I think of New Mexico.
Soft warm colors fill the lands of the American Southwest. People of this land have long made their mark, and New Mexico houses a few marvelous examples.
Aztec Ruins National Monument
Top Things to do - See Earl's house, become a Junior Ranger, Explore the ancestral Pueblo "Great House," Picnicking
Lodging - Aztec Ruins National Monument in Aztec, New Mexico, does not provide lodging within the park itself. Visitors seeking accommodations will find various options in nearby towns such as Aztec, Farmington, and Bloomfield, as well as in Durango, Colorado.
Camping - There are no campgrounds within the National Monument
Park Address -
725 Ruins Road
Aztec, NM 87410
Aztec Ruins NM is located just a few miles from Aztec in the northwestern corner of New Mexico.
The park is approximately 200 miles northwest of Sante Fe.
The park is open year-round and offers the opportunity to tour 900-year-old ancestral Puebloan ruins.
It marks the structures and artifacts of the Ancestral Pueblo people.
These ruins represent a time period from the 1100s to the 1200s.
This monument was established in 1923 and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Bandelier National Monument
Top Things to do - You can view the Ancestral Pueblo "Long House" dwelling, Guided Tours, Night Sky Programs, Boating, Camping, Stargazing, Hiking
Lodging - There is no lodging within Bandelier, but a wide variety is available in nearby communities, including Los Alamos, White Rock, Espanola, and Santa Fe.
Camping - There are several ways to camp at Bandelier that can accommodate different types of campers and groups of all sizes. This makes Bandelier the perfect "base camp" for exploring the park and the Pajarito Plateau.
Park Address -
15 Entrance RD
Los Alamos 87544
Bandelier NM is located in north-central New Mexico approximately 50 miles northwest of Sante Fe.
The park is open year-round though snow can close the park in the winter.
The park offers the opportunity to tour ancestral Puebloan sites, hiking and backpacking.
This was designated a National Monument in February 1916.
It was named after Adolph Bandelier, an anthropologist.
It is most famous for its ancestral pueblo homes, rock paintings, kivas, and petroglyphs.
Cave dwellings were popular locations throughout the southwest. Bandelier National Monument is striking because the cave is made from porous volcanic materials.
The dwellings blend in this landscape with its holes of entry and windows making it a unique site.
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Top Things to do - Hiking, visit the Capulin Volcano Visitor Center, watch the Park Film, Join the Guided Tours
Lodging - There is no lodging within the Monument. Des Moines, 12 miles east, has one small local motel.
Camping - There is no camping at Capulin Volcano National Monument, or dispersed camping on public lands within 100 miles. However, there are several campgrounds in the local area. Prices vary and travel times may be up to 2 hours.
Park Address -
46 Volcano Highway
Capulin, NM 88414
The monument is located in the far northeastern corner of New Mexico approximately 130 miles northeast of Sante Fe.
The park is open year-round though winter storms can close the park.
In 1916 this was declared a National Monument to celebrate Capulin Volcano which rises 1000 feet and is one of the best-preserved volcano sites.
It is located in an out-of-the-way area and gives one the chance to walk a volcano.
Linking peoples to the land was a discovery made in a remote National Monument, Capulin Volcano.
Evidence found there proves that people lived here in 10,000 BC.
If you are looking for a place to "get away", this could be a good option since most people don't even know about it.
El Malpais is another volcanic site that links to land containing lava tubes.
It is amazing to enter one of these caves and imagine how much molten earth passed through right where you are standing to create the landscape we see on the surface.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Top Things to do - Experience the Big Room and Natural Entrance trails, Join a ranger to explore other caves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Hike a trail at the surface of the park.
Discover the desert southwest night sky with a ranger, Join a ranger to watch thousands of bats
Lodging - There are no lodging facilities within Carlsbad Caverns
Camping - Primitive camping is allowed in the backcountry only, and requires a free permit issued at the park's visitor center when you arrive (not reservable in advance).
Park Address -
727 Carlsbad Caverns Highway
Carlsbad 88220
Carlsbad Caverns NP is located in southeastern New Mexico approximately 125 miles northeast of El Paso.
These caverns are simply amazing. The “Big Room” is the size of eight football fields.
There are formations throughout the caverns and expert spelunkers will enjoy this experience.
There are bats that are plentiful and active in the evenings.
Check out all of our posts on Carlsbad Caverns National Park!
Carlsbad Caverns, which was the setting of the movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth" no doubt because it feels other-worldly.
All of the intricate formations were formed by the same process created by combining surface water and limestone.
They continue to grow today, one drip at a time.
There is more to it than that, but it is something you may have to see to believe in yourself.
Be sure to bring a jacket when you visit, because no matter what the temperature is on the outside, the cave is always a constant "chilly".
If you are visiting at sunset, witnessing the bat flight is quite impressive.
Chaco Culture National Historic Park
Top Things to do - HikingTrails, visit the Visitor Center, Biking, Guided Tours, Camping
Lodging - There are no lodging options other than camping within the park.
Camping - The Gallo Campground within Chaco Culture has 32 individual sites and 2 group sites.
Park Address -
1808 CR 7950
Nageezi, NM 87037
Chaco Culture NHP is located in northwestern New Mexico approximately 100 miles northwest of Albuquerque.
The park is open year-round though winter can bring snow and cold temperatures.
The park offers the opportunity to tour ancestral Puebloan ruins, hiking, and camping.
This area has been described as “one of the most significant historical sites in America”.
This was a major urban area for the Chacoan people. It is one of the best-preserved areas of the infrastructure of an ancient culture.
The Chaco Culture National Historic Park was the center of the community for the Anasazi.
The Aztec Ruins are an outlying "village" of sorts from the Chaco location offering a small labyrinth of dwellings that spark curiosity.
The doors are small and low making us wonder about what the people looked like while the geometry used in the layouts allows us to marvel at what they may have been thinking.
El Malpais National Monument
Top Things to do - Stargazing El Malpais Night Skies, Explore Sandstone Bluffs Overlook, El Malpais Night Skies, Follow Ancient Footpaths on the Zuni-Acoma Trail, Hike the El Calderon Trail, Hike the Narrows Rim Trail, See a Bat Outflight at Bat Cave, Traverse the Lava Falls Trail, Visit La Ventana Natural Arch
Lodging - There are no lodging options within the NM
Camping - El Malpais National Monument offers primitive backcountry camping on rugged lava terrain. Nearby public lands and private campgrounds offer a variety of camping options.
Park Address -
1900 E. Santa Fe Ave.
Grants, NM 87020
El Malpais NM is located in Northwestern New Mexico approximately 85 miles west of Albuquerque.
The park is open year-round offering the opportunity to enjoy hiking and exploring lava caves.
This is a celebration of volcanology. The lava was formed from 115,000 to 2,000 years old. Malpais means “the badland” and the area has a variety of wildlife to view.
El Morro National Monument
Top Things to do - visit El Morro Visitor Center, Hike the Inscription Rock Trail, Hiking the Headland Trail, El Morro Junior Ranger Program
Lodging - Lodging options can be found in the surrounding communities within an hour's drive.
Camping - El Morro National Monument operates a free, nine-site campground with two vault toilets year-round.
Park Address -
Mile Marker 44.6 Hwy 53
Ramah, NM 87321
El Morro NM is located in Northwestern New Mexico approximately 100 miles west of Albuquerque.
The park is open year-round but winter storms can close the Headland trail.
The park offers the opportunity to view prehistoric petroglyphs and historic inscriptions.
The most famous feature of this area is Inscription Rock.
It was first tagged by the Ancestral Puebloans and the tradition continues, like others who found the hidden waterhole at the base of the cliff left their markings as well.
It looks like signing in a book at the oldest hotel in the West.
Fort Union National Monument
Top Things to do - Self-Guided Walk, Ranger-guided programs, Be a Junior Ranger, Bird Watching, Group Tours
Lodging - While Fort Union National Monument doesn't offer on-site lodging, lodging options can be found in nearby towns like Las Vegas and Raton, providing convenience for those wishing to explore the monument and the surrounding area.
Camping - There are no campgrounds within the Fort Union National Monument
Park Address -
3115 NM Highway 161
Watrous 87753
Fort Union NM is located in northeastern New Mexico approximately 95 miles northeast of Sante Fe.
The park is open year-round and offers the opportunity to tour a 19th-century US Army Fort.
This monument was declared in 1956.
This was a key stopover location for those traveling the Santa Fe Trail. There were three forts located in the area.
Fort Union is a fort that was built more like a frontier village.
There were no stockades of any kind. There are many stories that were repeated by those finding rest here along the Sante Fe Trail.
Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument
Top Things to do - Hiking Cliff Dweller Trail, Backpacking, Solar Eclipse Viewing, Star Party, Picnicking, Stargazing
Lodging - There are no lodging options within Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument
Camping - While there is no camping available in Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument there are four United States Forest Service campgrounds within a 10-minute drive of the park.
Park Address -
26 Jim Bradford Trl,
Mimbres, NM, 88049
Gila Cliff Dwelling NM is located in southwestern New Mexico approximately 43 miles north of Silver City.
The park is open year-round though winter weather can impact accessibility.
The park offers the opportunity to tour historic Native American structures and hiking.
This monument is well protected by wilderness and the Gila National Forest.
This is a tiny treasure of 553 acres. It has interlinked ruins of five cliff dwellings.
These were built by people of the Mogollon culture.
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument was created by people living there between the 12-1300s there's also a visitor center here to bring you back in time.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park
Top Things to do - Start with their Visitor Center, Tour Behind the Fence, Picnic at Ashley Pond, Visit the Trinity Site, Hike Kwage Mesa, Explore the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Explore the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, Junior Ranger Program, Explore the Bradbury Science Museum, Hike Acid Canyon Trail
Lodging - The Manhattan Project National Historical Park does not offer lodging options within the park itself. You may find lodging options in nearby towns and cities like Santa Fe and White Rock.
Camping - There are no camping options within the park
Park Address -
Los Alamos Visitor Center
475 20th Street
Los Alamos, NM 87544
The Manhattan Project NHP is located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The park includes a small visitor center and a walking tour of the town.
The park currently includes three areas at Los Alamos (locations shown on the map):
Gun Site Facilities: three bunkered buildings (TA-8-1, TA-8-2, and TA-8-3), and a portable guard shack (TA-8-172). These buildings were associated with the design of the “Little Boy” bomb.
V-Site Facilities: TA-16-516 and TA-16-517 V-Site Assembly Building - used by laboratory personnel to assemble components of the Trinity device in July 1945
Pajarito Site: TA-18-1 Slotin Building, TA-8-2 Battleship Control Building, and the TA-18-29 Pond Cabin. Pajarito Site was used during the war for plutonium chemistry research and later became the main site for critical assembly work at Los Alamos after the war.
Currently, there is no access to the facilities listed above as they are within the secured Department of Energy (DOE) facility,
Pecos National Historical Park
Top Things to do - Hiking, Picnics in the park, Ranger Led Tours/Programs, Fishing on the Pecos River, Bird Watching, Wildlife Viewing
Lodging - Pecos National Historical Park does not offer lodging options within the park itself. Visitors seeking accommodations will need to explore lodging options in the nearby towns and cities.
Camping- Camping is not permitted anywhere in Pecos National Historical Park.
If you are looking for a place to camp, there are several options nearby in the Santa Fe National Forest or Pecos Canyon State Park.
Park Address -
Pecos National Historical Park
1 Peach Drive
Pecos, NM 87552
Pecos NHP is located in northeastern New Mexico approximately 25 miles east of Sante Fe.
The park is open year-round and offers the opportunity to tour pueblo and mission ruins along with a civil war battleground.
This is one of the few places “out west” where one can visit a battlefield from the Civil War.
The park features two Spanish Colonial Missions, the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass, the ancient pueblo of Pecos, and the Forked Lightning Ranch.
Petroglyph National Monument
Top Things to do - Stop by the Visitor Center, Petroglyph Viewing, Hiking the Canyons and Volcanoes Trails
Lodging - Petroglyph National Monument does not offer lodging options within the park itself. Visitors seeking accommodations will need to explore lodging options in the nearby city of Albuquerque. Albuquerque offers a wide range of lodging choices.
Camping- There are no camping options within the park
Park Address -
Visitor Information Center
Unser Blvd. NW at Western Trail
Albuquerque, NM 87120
Petroglyph NM is located in north-central New Mexico just west of Albuquerque.
The park is open year-round and offers the opportunity to view ancient carvings.
What stands out most about this monument truly is the extremely large number of petroglyphs that can be viewed.
There are over 24,000 petroglyphs dating back from the Ancestral Pueblo period of 13000 to 16000 AD.
The petroglyphs detail everything from hunting, animals, people, masks, and designs and these provide many insights as to what was most important to the people of that time in this region.
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
Things to do - Visit Abó, Visit Headquarters, Visit Gran Quivira, Visit Quarai, Bird Watching, Wildlife Viewing
Lodging - There are no lodging within the park
Camping - Camping, including overnight RV parking, is not permitted in the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.
Park Address -
105 South Ripley Avenue
Mountainair 87036-0517
Salinas Pueblo Missions NM is located in central New Mexico approximately 50 miles southeast of Albuquerque.
The park is open year-round and offers the opportunity to visit Spanish Mission churches and pueblo ruins.
This was the home of the Tompiro and Tiwa Native Americans.
This is also the site where Spanish missionaries came to introduce Christianity to these people.
There are ruins of the villages of the Tiwa and Tompiro people and also the ruins of four mission churches.
It is located in central New Mexico.
Valles Caldera National Preserve
Top Things to do - Frontcountry Experience, Day Hiking, Fishing, Night Sky Viewing, Mountain Biking & E-Biking, Ranger-Led Activities, Wildlife Viewing, Night Sky Viewing, Winter Activities, Horseback Riding, Hunting, Backcountry Experience, Camping, Guided Tours
Lodging - Lodging is not available within the park, but there are options in nearby cities.
Camping-, Valles Caldera does not have any established campgrounds or backcountry camping available.
There are camping opportunities in the neighboring Bandelier National Monument and Santa Fe National Forest, several of which are less than 15 minutes from Valles Caldera's main entrance.
Park Address -
39201 New Mexico Highway 4
Jemez Springs, NM 87025
Valles Caldera is located in Northern New Mexico approximately 50 miles northwest of Sante Fe.
The park is open year-round though winter can bring extreme weather.
The park offers the opportunity to enjoy hiking, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, hunting, and fishing.
White Sands National Park
Top Things to do - Visitor Center, Backcountry Camping, Bicycling, Driving Dunes Drive, Hiking, Horses and Other Pack Animals, Junior Ranger Programs, Photography, Picnicking, Sledding
Lodging - There are several lodging options available in nearby towns and cities that you can consider for your stay while visiting the park. The city of Alamogordo, New Mexico, is the closest and most convenient location for lodging.
Camping- Offers primitive backcountry camping in the heart of the dunes.
Park Address -
19955 Highway 70 W
Alamogordo, NM 88310
USA
White Sands NP is located in southern New Mexico approximately 85 miles north of El Paso, Texas, and 52 miles southwest of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The park is open year-round and offers the opportunity to enjoy scenic driving, hiking, and sand sledding.
As of December 20, 2019, White Sands National Monument became White Sands National Park.
The Gypsum sand dunes have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield.
The reflection of the sun is overwhelming coming off the glistening White Sands of New Mexico!
For those who are familiar with snow-packed rolling hills, the appearance is similar. It is truly unique.
White Sands does not earn its reputation from being a dry flat beach in the desert.
It's really bright white gypsum dunes where you will wish you had cramped a sled in the car, and people often do.
When you're there also be on the lookout for one-of-a-kind inhabitants that are also white, so it will pay here to check out the visitor center to see what creatures you will find here.
Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.
$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.
For a fun adventure check out Escape Campervans. These campervans have built in beds, kitchen area with refrigerators, and more. You can have them fully set up with kitchen supplies, bedding, and other fun extras. They are painted with epic designs you can't miss!
Escape Campervans has offices in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, New York, and Orlando
Affiliated Sites
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail (NM, TX)
Old Spanish National Historic Trail ( AZ, CA, CO, NV, NM, UT)
Sante Fe National Historic Trail (CO, KS, MO, NM, OK)
List of National Parks in New Mexico
- Aztec Ruins National Monument
- Bandelier National Monument
- Capulin Volcano National Monument
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park
- El Malpais National Monument
- El Morro National Monument
- Fort Union National Monument
- Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
- Manhattan Project National Historical Park (also Tennessee, Washington)
- Pecos National Historical Park
- Petroglyph National Monument
- Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
- Valles Caldera National Preserve
- White Sands National Park
There are 15 National Parks in New Mexico with over 1.7 million visitors a year.
These visitors produce over $108 million in economic benefits through tourism.
New Mexico National Parks include 1 National Heritage Area, 3 National Trails managed by the National Park Service, 1,149 National Register of Historic Place Listings, and 46 National Historic Landmarks.
National Parks in New Mexico also include 12 National Natural Landmarks, 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Check out this list of all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States), and 327 places recorded by the Heritage Documentation Program.
There are over 7 million objects in the New Mexico National Park museum collections. Along with 8,960 Archeological Sites within the National Parks in New Mexico.
National Parks in the Neighboring States
Check out this printable checklist of National Park sites in the United States to count just how many you have been to.
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