Summary at a glance
Valles Caldera National Preserve is listed as a National Preserve in the checked-in NPS identity snapshot. 4 source cards on this page. Data snapshot: October 27, 2026. Listed month windows: February, March, and April.
Month-by-month
Month windows on this page: February, March, and April listed as the primary window; October, April, and November listed as peak months; February, December, and January listed as lower-crowd months.
Primary Window
Listed primary window: February, March, and April.
Peak months
Listed peak months: October, April, and November.
Lower-crowd months
Listed lower-crowd months: February, December, and January.
Getting there
Use the closest major airport and a regional drive plan for Valles Caldera.
From Jemez Springs, NM: Follow NM-4 north. The Preserve is about 22 miles from Jemez Springs. Look for the Main Gate and signs at Mile Marker 39.2. From Los Alamos, NM: Take Trinity Drive to Diamond. Take a left on Diamond, then a right on West Jemez Road to the intersection with NM-4. Take a right [away from Bandelier National Monument], following the highway up and into the Jemez Mountains. The Preserve is 18 miles up NM-4 from Los Alamos. Look for the Main Gate and signs at Mile Marker 39.2.
Clock, compare, and listen
Season and now
Twelve-month planning is modeled from the published seasonal profile. The current hand stays unavailable until sourced alerts, hours, events, roads, and weather are fresh.
- Current hand
- Not available
Three listening lanes
Official NPS audio: Not provided for this snapshot.
Synthetic browser audio, never a field recording or live observation.
Jamcorder: Shared station.
| Month | Visitability | Crowd pressure |
|---|---|---|
| January | 66 | 24 |
| February | 69 | 30 |
| March | 69 | 58 |
| April | 68 | 68 |
| May | 65 | 54 |
| June | 57 | 28 |
| July | 50 | 22 |
| August | 46 | 26 |
| September | 55 | 42 |
| October | 63 | 72 |
| November | 67 | 66 |
| December | 68 | 38 |
The cue is a browser-generated composition, not a field recording. How NPS Sounds modeled audio works.
Methodology
This page uses the checked-in NPS identity snapshot for Valles Caldera National Preserve, the 4 source cards below, and the figures listed above. Data snapshot: October 27, 2026. Read the NPS Sounds methodology and about NPS Sounds for how pages are assembled.
- Data snapshot: October 27, 2026
- Source cards: 4
Data Behind This Reading
Source provenance
NPS identity
highValles Caldera National Preserve is identified as National Preserve with NPS code vall.
SourceOfficial operations
limitedOfficial alerts should be verified on the NPS page. This site uses a checked-in snapshot, not a live operations feed.
SourceWeather and seasonality
limitedEach season offers a different experience: lush springs, moderate summers, golden falls, and snowy winters. Average temperatures are 22°F (-6 C) in January and 60°F (16 C) in July. Temperature extremes range from a high of 84°F (29 C) in summer to -30°F (-34C) in winter. Precipitation is heavier during summer monsoon rains (thunderstorms) in July and August and winter snowstorms in December through March. Higher elevation lends to much cooler temperatures than nearby Albuquerque.
SourceHow this page is assembled
limitedplace page source cards come from the data snapshot October 27, 2026.
Source