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Some of the finest mountain scenery in the Southwest is found in the 1.6-million-acre Santa Fe National Forest. Here, you can find the headwaters of Pecos, Jemez, and Gallinas Rivers; mountain streams; lakes; and trout fishing. Travel into Pecos, San Pedro Parks, Chama, and Dome Wildernesses via wilderness pack trips, saddle, or on 1,000 miles of hiking trails. Try whitewater rafting on the Rio Chama or Rio Grande from May to September. Consider turkey, elk, deer, and bear hunting, or visit one of many nearby Indian pueblos, Spanish missions, and Indian ruins. Golden aspen grace the high country from September to October and snow blankets Santa Fe Ski Basin in winter.
The SWJM Collaborative Landscape Restoration Project is a long-term collaborative effort to restore forest ecosystems in the Jemez Mountains and improve their resilience to major disturbances, including fire, insects and disease, and climate change. In addition to the Santa Fe NF, lead partners include the Valles Caldera National Preserve, US Geological Survey, Pueblo of Jemez, Forest Stewards Guild, New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, The Nature Conservancy, New Mexico Forest Industry Association, and WildEarth Guardians.
A comprehensive and captivating history of fire lookouts on the Santa Fe National Forest by Barbara Zinn, who staffs the Barillas Lookout Tower during fire season.
