About the Area

The Santa Fe National Forest is one of five national forests in New Mexico and manages almost 1.6 million acres. The Santa Fe National Forest was established in 1915, when President Woodrow Wilson signed Executive Order 2160, merging the Jemez and Pecos National Forests. The Santa Fe National Forest plays a unique role in supporting communities in northern New Mexico, as well as throughout the southwestern United States. 

The Santa Fe National Forest is divided into five ranger districts: Coyote, Cuba, and Jemez Mountains are west of the city of Santa Fe (referred to the "west side"); Pecos-Las Vegas spans the Sangre de Cristo Mountains east of the city of Santa Fe (referred to as the "east side"); and Española runs down the middle and is located on both east and west sides.

The Santa Fe National Forest shares borders with the Carson National Forest, Bandelier National Monument, Pecos National Historic Park, the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Los Alamos National Laboratories, land administered by the Bureau of Land Management, nine pueblos, one tribal nation, and various land grants.

The Santa Fe National Forest manages:

• Four congressionally designated wilderness areas, which makes up about 18 percent of the forest
• Three designated wild and scenic rivers
• The Jemez National Recreation Area, the only national recreation area in the southwestern region
• Four of New Mexico's eight national scenic byways
• One of the Nation's 11 national scenic trails, two national recreation trails, and three of the Nation's 19 national historic trails

About our Seasons

Climate across the forest is varied and related to elevational range. Mean daily air temperature for north-central New Mexico ranges from minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit to 14 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and from 30 degrees Fahrenheit to 95 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. Mean annual precipitation for the area ranges from 12 to 35 inches annually, with the highest amounts at the higher elevations. The air is clean and clear, and blue skies are typical with an average of 300 days of sunshine a year. In the higher elevations, first snow usually occurs in October and then covers peaks from late November through spring. It is not uncommon to find snow on high-elevation trails into June. At lower elevations, snow is more variable, with some years receiving substantial amounts (40 inches), while other years have nothing of consequence. Spring is windy and relatively dry. June brings the beginning of monsoons, or the rainy season, which culminate in August. Lightning strikes are common during the summer months, especially on the higher peaks. Fall is marked by golden aspens on mountain sides and cottonwoods along the streams.

About our Major Mountain Ranges

The forest stretches across mountains, valleys, and mesas that can be divided into two distinctive sections: the west side centered on the Jemez Mountains and the east side in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Elevation varies from 5,000 to 13,000 feet, with the summit of Truchas Peak (13,108 feet) in the Pecos Wilderness being the highest point on the east side and Chicoma Mountain (11,561 feet) standing the highest on the west side. The majority (95 percent) of the forest lies within the Rio Grande watershed.

Due to the rapidly changing environment, forest users are constantly faced with safety factors with which they should be familiar.  Avoid trouble through awareness and preparedness.