Leaving Bandelier National Monument it was again decision time. I wasn’t quite ready to give up my exploration of this part of New Mexico so I drove further west on NM-4 through the mountain pass near Los Alamos with some idea of camping in the Santa Fe National Forest. Along the way I came across the pullout at Valle Grande for some scenery that is impossible to ignore.
Valle Grande is the largest valley and grassland within the Valles Caldera National Preserve, an area created by the Valles Caldera dormant supervolcano that is now a 14-mile wide crater surrounded by mountains, meadows, streams, and wildlife. A sign at the pullout describes the volcanic history and gives visual identification to the mountain peaks in the distance.
Signs and maps are great but seeing things with your own eyes really tells the story. Saying this is a vast open area is an incredible understatement. Sights like this are not something to take for granted, you won’t find them often. Here is the view looking to the east:
Grande is an accurate name, here is the view turning to the west (and it still does not fully encompass the entire valley):
Using all the zoom available of my 135mm lens (4/3 sensor), I could barely just make out a large herd of elk down near the East Fork Jemez River. Amazing that such large animals are almost indistinguishable, the distance and scale out here are deceptive.
And finally here is a panorama attempt from my iPhone that comes out a bit wonky but does help show the full field of view. Amazing.
