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Valles Caldera West Rim
Forest Road 144—South End
Introduction:
The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) owns the west rim of the Valles Caldera and manages it for multiple use: grazing, hunting, logging, motorized vehicle trails, and hiking. Much of the west rim is truly a rim—the sharp, 500-foot scarp above the canyon of the Rio San Antonio. A major forest resource road, Forest Road 144, (FR144) runs parallel to the rim. It is an unpaved road, but otherwise well-maintained. Depending on weather, the south end is suitable for passenger cars for a few miles. The northern reaches of FR144 get rougher. FR144 is gated closed in snowy winters for its own protection. A motorcycle trail runs along the rim parallel to FR144. The motorcyclists claim to have built the trail and keep it well maintained.
Description:
As it heads west from La Cueva toward Cuba, State Road 126 (SR 126) climbs the wall of the caldera. The road crosses the actual caldera rim at its junction with FR376 about two-thirds of the way up the hill. For hikers, (or even motorcyclists) picking up a piece of the unpaved original SR126 is a special treat. At the cattle guard at the northern junction of SR126/FR376, a messed-up construction area follows the fence for a few hundred feet, but then encounters the old road up the hill. This is the road shown on the 1952 U.S.G.S. topographical maps before SR126 was paved. It is now a pleasant stroll with a nice grade up the hill on several switchbacks. At the top of the hill is a fence and open gate before the old road rejoins SR126. From the top of the hill, it is easiest for hikers to walk along the highway the mile or so to the junction with FR144, some of it on the old unpaved right-of-way. Trying to follow the fence line is not pleasant because it descends the steep canyon wall in several places.
From the FR376 junction, paved SR126 continues up onto the mesa. Near the canyon rim just off the highway is a small pullout area with an excellent view into the southern part of the caldera. It is well worth a stop. No valles are visible, but the view of the west half of the caldera is impressive enough, even though dominated by massive Redondo Peak. The south rim is visible as it circles east around the south flank of Redondo.
At the FR144 junction, one has to walk back to the rim along the fence. Fences here are well-kept and not easy to crawl through. FR144 sees a lot of traffic in season. A Christmas tree cutting area and wood-cutting areas lie along the road. During any holiday weekend, informal campsites along FR144 are filled with campers enjoying the mountain air and pleasant forests. Despite all the multiple use activities, the forests of the Jemez are nice places.
The precursor to SR126 is a nice path through the forest.
This part of the rim is relatively level with broad mesas extending off to the west. Erosion cut deep canyons and formed mesa/canyon topography typical of volcanic ash flows. However, the canyons have not yet breached the caldera rim, which remains intact. The mesas are heavily wooded. Logging roads diverge off the road toward the west. Short stub roads also branch toward the rim, usually ending in a camping or picnic spot. Nonetheless, much of the area is still dense forest. Views are restricted due to heavy timber and are limited to occasional hillocks or overlooks where tuff cliffs jut out into the canyon. Well-built, well maintained fences run along parts of the route, cutting off access to the canyon rim in places; there is a gate in the fence at a campsite complex near the southern end of FR144.
 The motorcycle trail is distinct, clean, and well graded. It is not an extreme-sport trail. We did not see signs of recent use. The trail follows the rim rather closely, sometimes dipping into small drainages.
The motorcycle trail along the rim.
Views from the trail or little hillocks beside the trail are restricted. We called them pocket views (buttonhole might be a better term). At the southern end of FR 144 are views of the southwest quadrant of the caldera, with Los Griegos the prominent ridge on the south rim and Las Conchas the sharp little point to its left. Farther north, the views look across San Antonio Canyon to Redondo Peak and San Antonio Mountain, both within the caldera. San Antonio Mountain is one of several so-called ring fracture volcanoes that subsequently erupted around Redondo Peak.
Redondo Peak, 11, 254 feet, is the second highest point in the Jemez Mountains. It effectively blocks views into the eastern valles of the caldera. Farther north are several restricted views across the caldera over to Tschicoma Peak on the eastern slope of the Jemez range. The buildings and waterfalls of San Antonio Hot Springs are prominent features within the canyon toward the northern end of this hike.
 
Redondo Peak, second highest in the Jemez Mountains. Pocket views along the west rim of the caldera.
Access: The junction of SR4 and SR126 is at the little village of La Cueva. From La Cueva, State Road 126 heads west, crossing the Rio San Antonio and immediately climbing the wall of the caldera. Its junction with Forest Road 144 is about a mile beyond the canyon rim. SR126 goes west to Cuba. It is only paved to Fenton Lake State Park and can be rough and slow beyond that point
Dorothy Hoard October 2008
South end of Forest Road 144. Red = rim; purple = public road; green = our route. The motorcycle trail lies between FR144 and the canyon rim
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