National Parks of New Mexico

There is currently fifteen National Park Service Site in New Mexico and three associated sites.

Official National Parks of New Mexico

1. Aztec Ruins National Monument
2. Bandelier National Monument
3. Capulin Volcano National Monument
4. Carlsbad Caverns National Park
5. Chaco Culture National Historical Park
6. El Malpais National Monument
7. El Morro National Monument
8. Fort Union National Monument
9. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
10. Manhattan Project National Historical Park
11. Pecos National Historical Park
12. Petroglyph National Monument
13. Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
14. Valles Caldera National Preserve
15. White Sands National Park

Associated sites of New Mexico

• El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
• Old Spanish National Historic Trail
• Santa Fe National Historic Trail

National Parks of New Mexico Map

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New Mexico National Parks

New Mexico is part of the Southwest and West Coast Region.

Aztec Ruins National Monument

Bandelier National Monument

Capulin Volcano National Monument

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

El Malpais National Monument

El Morro National Monument

Fort Union National Monument

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Manhattan Project National Historical Park

Pecos National Historical Park

Petroglyph National Monument

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

Valles Caldera National Preserve

White Sands National Park

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail

Old Spanish National Historic Trail

Old Spanish National Historic Trail is a historic trade route that connected Santa Fe, New Mexico with Los Angeles, California.  The trail built upon the known trails established of the Indian Tribes of the region and the Spanish explorers and trappers.  There are several common routes along the Old Spanish Trail depending on who the trade partners were and what they were trading. The Armijo Route provides the most direct route and was often a yearly trip for traders along the route.  The trial saw the most use from 1830s until 1860s.   Large mule pack trains could be seen walking back and forth from Santa Fe to Los Angeles.

The Old Spanish National Historic Trail is mostly an auto trail.  The trail runs thru Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.  Stops can include many other National Parks Service sites in the region.

Santa Fe National Historic Trail

Santa Fe National Historic Trail was a freight transportation route from Franklin, Missouri, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The route runs through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico. The trail splits in Kansas into the Mountain Route which heads further west into Colorado before heading south and the Cimarron Cutoff which crosses the Cimarron Desert and goes through Oklahoma. The trail was established in 1822 to encourage trade between the US and Mexico.

Today, visitors to the Santa Fe National Historic Trail is an autoroute. Along the way, there are many local, state and federal sites to explore to learn more about the route and the region’s history. Autograph Rock near Boise City, Oklahoma was an important stopping place as it was one of the few year-round water sources in this region.

Santa Fe National Historic Trail was created in 1987.

View all the National Park Service Sites in neighboring states:

• Arizona National Parks – Arizona is home to Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Saguaro National Parks and 19 NPS units.
• Colorado National Parks – Colorado is home to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde and Rocky Mountain National Parks and 9 other units.
• National Parks of Oklahoma
• National Parks of Texas
• Utah National Parks – Utah is home to the Mighty Five National Parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion) and 8 NPS units.