Winter on the Valles. Courtesy/VCNT
VCNT News:
JEMEZ SPRINGS — Free hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing will be offered to visitors of the Valles Caldera National Preserve this weekend in honor of Presidents Day.
Beginning Friday and running through Monday, Presidents Day, all day use permit fees will be waived for listed activities. Equipment rental and guided events fees will remain.
If snow cover permits, visitors will enjoy access to miles of groomed trails or be able to blaze their own trail over the 5,000 acres of the Valle Grande. The Valle Grande trail, Coyote Call trail and surrounding area on the south side of the State Highway 4 are also open for hiking or cross-country skiing and snowshoeing everyday during daylight hours.
The Preserve will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on winter recreation activities on the Preserve, call 866.382.5537 or visit http://www.vallescaldera.gov /comevisit/comevisit_winter.aspx.
The Valles Caldera Trust oversees the 88,900-acre Valles Caldera National Preserve, located in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. The Preserve was purchased by the federal government in 2000 under the Valles Caldera Preservation Act, and it is known for its huge meadows, abundant wildlife, meandering streams, remarkable scenery and science-based adaptive management. More information about the Preserve can be found at www.vallescaldera.gov.
