A plein air artist paints a picture of the Bond Cabin during Art in the Park Day 2024.
NPS/Corey Lycopolus
Want to learn more about Valles Caldera's geology, history, wildlife, and more? We invite you to participate in a ranger program or special event during your visit! Valles Caldera National Preserve offers engaging programs all year-round. Check out upcoming offerings in the listings below!
Special Events
Caldera Reverie: Artistic Visions from a Volcanic Landscape
Dates: April 18-24, 2025 Times: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm Location: Jemez Fine Art Gallery in Jemez Springs, NM
Featuring works by local, regional, and international artists, Caldera Reverie: Artistic Visions from a Volcanic Landscape is a celebration of a beloved place in the Jemez Mountains. Celebrate National Park Week by stopping in to view this week-long art exhibit inspired by Valles Caldera National Preserve.
Art in the Park Day
Dates: Saturday, April 26 Times: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm Location: Ranger Station
Celebrate art's influence on the preservation of America's treasured landscapes on Saturday, April 26, as part of National Park Week! Activities will include a silent disco, watercolor painting, nature writing, photography programs, a Valles Caldera-inspired art exhibit, and demonstrations by local artists throughout the day. Please join us!
Dates: April 25-26, 2025 Time: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Location: Meet at the Entrance Station
Come explore nature and share your observations during a 2-day BioBlitz on April 25-26. It’s easy to participate. (IMPORTANT: Before you come up to Valles Caldera, be sure to download the iNatualist app and set up an account - There is no Wi-Fi or reliable cell service in the Preserve, so it's important to do this ahead of time.)
Set up an account at iNaturalist.org or in the iNaturalist app
Take and submit your photos of animals and their signs (tracks, scat, feathers, etc.), plants, and fungi that you find during the BioBlitz challenge.
Help identify others’ observations and have iNaturalist and its community help you!
This BioBlitz is also taking place during the City Nature Challenge, an annual global collaborative effort to find and document wildlife observations in and around urban areas, organized by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences. Join nature enthusiasts worldwide while discovering the biodiversity in our local area!
Daytime Programs
Hike Through History
Dates: Every Saturday, 2/22 - 4/19 (cancelled 4/5) Times: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Location: Begins at the Ranger Station picnic area
Join a park ranger on a hike through history! Travel 12,000 years back in time to discover the ingenuity of the people of the past and how Valles Caldera remains a place that inspires generation after generation. This will be a 2-mile hike on relatively flat ground. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear suitable for gravel hiking, and bring water.
Earth Day Upcycled Craft: Build Your Own Bottle Lamp
Date: Saturday, April 19 Time: 2:30 pm Location: Picnic area in front of the Ranger Station
Not sure what to do with your old 2-liter bottles? Turn them into a fun, creative way to brighten your space! Join Ranger Alex in the picnic area near the ranger station to celebrate the upcoming Earth Day by upcycling 2-liter bottles into desktop lamps. This craft is great for all ages! We’ll provide art supplies—and even some extra bottles for those who don’t have one. All you need to bring is your creativity and a tea light to illuminate your masterpiece at home.
Daily Ranger Program
Dates: Every Thursday-Sunday, Memorial Day to Labor Day Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Location: Begins at the Ranger Station
Dealer's choice! Depending on which ranger you get, this program may cover Valles Caldera's geology, wildlife, cultural history, fire ecology, or creative arts. Take a chance and join us to learn something new. Generally (although not guaranteed), Thursday programs will be geology hikes around Cerro La Jara. Friday programs will alternate between fire ecology and wildlife. Saturday programs will be history hikes through the Cabin District. Sunday programs will be nature journaling or another creative activity.
Wildlife Photography
Dates: Every 1st Sunday Times: 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Location: Begins at the Ranger Station
A hike with a focus on wildlife photography principles and techniques covering Valles Caldera National Preserve and the Jemez Mountains.
Learn the basics of wildlife photography and compositional recommendations all while exploring Valles Caldera and the Jemez Mountain Region. You will need to provide your own camera for this program (Mirrorless, DSLR, SLR, or mobile). The program duration is 2-5 hours depending on the trail or area visited, with distances of 1-5 miles hiked.
Spots are limited. Registration required. Registration will open at 8:00 am Mountain Time exactly two weeks in advance.
Dates: Every 3rd Sunday Times: 10:00 am to 11:00 am Location: Begins at the Ranger Station
Learn the basics of photography and compositional recommendations using an instant film camera, all while exploring Valles Caldera. A camera and film will be provided, but exposures will be limited to 2 per person. If you want to take more than two photos, you can purchase your own film to use (Polaroid i-Type, color or black & white) and can bring your own instant film camera as well. The program is approximately 1 hour in duration.
Spots are limited. Registration required. Registration will open at 8:00 am Mountain Time exactly two weeks in advance.
Evening programs are offered year-round in conjunction with the full moon, new moon, and special celestial events.
Astrophotography Workshops
Dates: June 6, August 22
With Valles Caldera National Preserve (an International Dark Sky Park) as an outdoor classroom, park volunteers Stan Ford and Richard Gonzales will guide program participants through the basics of astrophotography. Learn how to adjust and optimize DSLR camera settings, select a shooting location, and, of course, shoot spectacular images of the night sky. Spots are limited. Registration required.
Registration will open at 8:00 am Mountain Time exactly two weeks in advance.
Take in the majesty of the celestial sky and learn about the stars, constellations, and planetary bodies in this International Dark Sky Park. Spots are limited. Registration required.
Registration links will activate at 8:00 AM Mountain Time exactly two weeks in advance.
Want to experience more National Park Service interpretive programs during your visit to the Jemez Mountains? Join ranger at neighboring Bandelier National Monument or Manhattan Project National Historical Park, both approximately 30 minutes east of Valles Caldera.
