Los Amigos de Valles Caldera
Grants Awarded
The primary goals of this project are to promote public safety, responsible recreation, and a more meaningful visitor experience at Valles Caldera National Preserve through the installation of interpretive orientation signage at 20+ trailheads along the park’s 25-mile road system and perimeter entry points from surrounding public lands. Without having done extensive research before their trip, visitors to Valles Caldera cannot find most of the park's trailheads; only 4 of them are clearly marked with signage as of January 2026. This is a constant source of frustration and concern for our visitors, volunteers, and staff, as there are no clear landmarks indicating that a person is in their intended location for recreation. If they are not savvy at navigating with a map or a smartphone, they are, unfortunately, out of luck. We want to change that. We want to make outdoor recreation at Valles Caldera feel safe and accessible for people of all skills and abilities. If funded, single-frame trailhead signs containing a trail map, safety and regulatory information, and pertinent interpretive messaging will be installed at the following park trailheads: · Valle Grande Exploration · El Cajete East · El Cajete West · Redondo Foothills East · Redondo Foothills West · South Mountain · East Valle Grande · Obsidian Valley West · Cerro Abrigo · Jaramillo Creek East · Garita · Indios Creek · San Antonio Creek East · Sulphur Creek North · Redondo Creek West Double-frame orientation signs containing interpretive welcome messaging, safety and regulatory information, a park overview, and a trail map will be installed at the following entry points along the park’s perimeter: · Sulphur Creek South · Redondo Meadow · Banco Bonito · Rabbit Mountain · Rincon · South Valle Grande · San Antonio Creek West · Posos East These orientation signs will provide welcoming, educational messaging about Valles Caldera and wayfinding assistance for people who are entering the park from adjacent U.S. Forest Service lands.
Los Amigos de Valles Caldera, a 501(c)(3) organization founded in September, 2006, is the non-profit partner of Valles Caldera National Preserve and we work closely with preserve management to ensure a strong future for the preserve. We have run our organization with dedicated volunteers and without the assistance of paid staff so that all funds benefit the preserve. Our mission is to support the preserve for present and future generations through outreach, education, restoration, and collaboration. Over several years, we applied for and received $1.6M in grants to complete eleven wetlands restoration projects on the preserve. Our work helped to get Jaramillo Creek delisted for temperature from the New Mexico’s Surface Water Quality Standards impairment list. We also ran a variety of educational tours and events, developed educational materials on the preserve’s Historic Cabin District, helped to maintain miles of trails, supported Valles Caldera’s Night Sky Program, the Artist In Residence program and much more. In addition to being the official Friends Group for the preserve, we signed a Cooperating Association Agreement with the National Park Service in 2016 that allowed us to open the Valle Grande Bookstore on November 28, 2016. The store sells books, apparel, collectibles and outdoor items that support the preserve themes of geology, ecology, cultural continuity, heritage and sensory experience. Because the preserve is somewhat remote, snacks and safety items are also available. Earnings from bookstore sales are used to enrich the visitor experience.