The preserve is known for its huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams. General Summary: The Jemez Mountains and the Valles Caldera - rifting in … Just 20 miles north along Hwy 4 Jemez Springs is an easy access point to this spectacular preserve with 89,000 acres located in Sandoval County.
About 1.25 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 13-mile wide circular depression now known as the Valles Caldera. One of only six super volcanoes in the entire world, Valles Caldera is comprised of a 13-mile wide depression which came about after a huge volcanic eruption more than 1.25 million years ago. Formed by an extinct super volcano (caldera), the Valles Caldera offers incredible vistas of grassland in the extinct cone of the volcano, surrounded by the mountainous rimcovered with trees. The presence of hot springs shows that the caldera is part of a large, long-lived, and still active system. The area also preserves the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embraces a rich ranching history.