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Cerro La Jara Stop 1
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New Mexico
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Cerro La Jara Stop 1
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<p>Welcome to the Cerro La Jara Trail in Valles Caldera National Preserve. This trail is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and will likely take 1 to 2 hours to complete. The elevation change is small – about 50 feet. Leashed pets are permitted on this trail, but please ensure that your pet maintains a safe distance from wildlife as you hike. Take some drinking water with you and as always, be aware of your surroundings and the weather.<br /> <br /> This tour will focus on the geology you see, and help you imagine some you can’t see. If you are hiking this trail in the winter, some of the rocks might not be visible due to snow cover.<br /> <br /> From the northern edge of the Entrance Station parking lot (near the solar panels), find the brown trail post and follow the trail across the road. When you reach the trail intersection on the opposite side of the road, turn left and continue to Stop 2. As you walk, look around at the rocks and landforms. What do you see?<br /> <br /> <meta charset="utf-8" /><br /> <em><b id="docs-internal-guid-e51536c1-7fff-c656-458a-1e6d71a2aa52">Bienvenido al sendero Cerro La Jara en la Reserva Nacional Valles Caldera. Este sendero tiene una longitud aproximada de 2.4 km y se tarda entre 1 y 2 horas en completarlo. El desnivel es pequeño, de unos 15 metros. Se admiten mascotas con correa en este sendero, pero asegúrese de que su mascota mantenga una distancia segura con la fauna silvestre mientras camina. Lleve agua potable y, como siempre, esté atento a su entorno y al clima. <br /> <br /> Esta excursión se centrará en la geología que se puede ver y le ayudará a imaginar lo que no se puede ver. Si recorre este sendero en invierno, es posible que algunas de las rocas no sean visibles debido a la capa de nieve.<br /> <br /> Desde el extremo norte del estacionamiento de la estación de entrada (cerca de los paneles solares), busque el poste marrón que indica el sendero y siga el camino que cruza la carretera. </b></em></p> <p><em><b id="docs-internal-guid-e51536c1-7fff-c656-458a-1e6d71a2aa52">Cuando llegue al cruce del sendero al otro lado de la carretera, gire a la izquierda y continúe hasta la parada 2. Mientras camina, observe y la geográfia. ¿Qué ve?</b></em></p>
Birding By Car Stop 4
~0 min drive
At the entrance station, we are surrounded by montane grasslands. Across the road is a small, forested lava dome called Cerro La Jara. If you're looking for a short hike with lots of wildlife watching opportunities, there's a wonderful 1.4-mile loop trail around the lava dome.…
Cerro La Jara Stop 2
~0 min drive
<p>As you walked, you probably noticed that you are walking in a large valley and there are rounded hills or mountains in the distance, behind you, and to your right. You are walking in a volcanic caldera – a depression formed during a volcanic eruption. This caldera was forme…
Cerro La Jara Stop 8
~0 min drive
Did you notice that prairie dogs make this area their home? They like to make chirping noises to warn each other of people in the area, so they are difficult to miss! What they are also doing is trying to make future trace fossils. A trace fossil is a record of life that isn’t…
Cerro La Jara Stop 7
~0 min drive
Look northward across the road. The broad valley is Valle Grande. A lake filled this valley several times in the past. If the lighting is right, you will be able to see low, flat lying ridges at the base of the mountains in the distance. These ridges are sediments that were de…
Cerro La Jara Stop 4
~1 min drive
Look straight down the path. Cerro La Jara is to your right and South Mountain is directly in front of you. Both of these formations are volcanic domes. Volcanic domes are formed by the extrusion of lava that piles up in a dome shape. Cerro La Jara and South Mountain were form…
Cerro La Jara Stop 5
~1 min drive
The large mountain in the distance directly ahead of you is Redondo Peak. The smaller peak just to the right is Redondito. These mountains are part of a resurgent dome in the center of Valles Caldera. A resurgent dome is different than a volcanic dome; it wasn’t extruded as la…
Cerro La Jara Stop 6
~1 min drive
So far, you have learned that about 1.2 million years ago, a giant volcanic eruption occurred and created Valles Caldera when the roof of the empty magma chamber collapsed. The material that was erupted (called the Bandelier Tuff) was deposited inside the new hole in the groun…
The Movie Set Cabin
~2 min drive
Located on Valles Caldera's main entrance road, approximately a half mile from NM State Route 4, this cabin is part of the 2003 "The Missing" movie set starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett. Park at the Jemez River Trailhead and walk a quarter mile up the trail beyond th…
Saddle Shed
~3 min drive
The saddle shed, also known as the tack shed, was built in 1963 to serve ranch operations. Ranch hands started their days here, grooming their horses and saddling up before sunrise. They would ride up to 20 miles a day, checking on livestock, inspecting fences, and tending to…
Birding By Car Stop 1
~6 min drive
This site, near the South Valle Grande Trailhead along NM State Route 4, is predominantly mixed conifer forest and woodland (both dry and moist mesic). Prevalent plant species include blue spruce and ponderosa pine, fox tail, wildflowers, and yarrow. Watch for these birds each…
