Go for a hike and listen for an eagle as it soars above an 800-foot gorge, fish in world-class trout waters, marvel at a herd of elk crossing the desolate plateau, or raft alongside the river otter. You have entered the natural world of the Río Grande del Norte National Monument!

The landscape of this special place in northern New Mexico is a showcase of stark, wide open spaces covering 242,500 acres. At an average elevation of 7,000 feet, the monument is dotted by volcanic cones and cut by steep canyons. While the Río Grande carves a deep gorge through layers of volcanic basalt flows and ash, nearby cottonwoods and willows shelter abundant songbirds and waterfowl. An amazing array of wildlife dwells among the piñon and juniper woodlands and the mountaintops of ponderosa, Douglas fir, aspen, and spruce (some 500 years old). Raptors, mule deer, cougar, and black bear are not uncommon. Be alert! At any moment bighorn sheep may appear!

Since prehistoric times this area has attracted human activity, as evidenced by petroglyphs, prehistoric dwelling sites, and many other types of archaeological discoveries. Abandoned homesteads from the 1930s reflect more recent activity. On March 25, 2013, a Presidential proclamation designated the area a national monument, managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System.

Learn more about the monument: www.blm.gov/nm/riograndedelnorte