Río Grande del Norte National Monument

What began as a presidential proclamation by former president Barack Obama is now carried on by Trust for Public Land.

In 2013, President Obama proclaimed Río Grande del Norte a national monument, and for good reason. The dramatic landscape is anchored by the Taos Valley Overlook in the south and Ute Mountain in the north—both projects completed by TPL. Overall, the monument includes rugged, wide-open landscapes covered by looming volcanic cones and carved by deep, craggy canyons with rushing rivers. Sweeping plateaus, native grasslands, essential wildlife habitats, and prehistoric footprints add to the beauty and significance of Río Grande del Norte.

Wildlife such as the Rocky Mountain elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer, and pronghorn depend on the monument as a winter corridor between surrounding mountain ranges. Various birds soar over the plateaus, including bald eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls. Predators such as black bears, coyotes, red foxes, cougars, and bobcats roam grasslands and volcanic cones.

Evidence of human existence, such as petroglyphs, dwellings, and artifacts, dates back to 10,000 years ago. Archaeologists and historians have traced homesteaders in the area through the 1930s.

This geographically dense, archaeologically rich, and ecologically important landscape epitomizes land needing protection. In 2016 TPL had the honor of adding a key 2,500-acre parcel to the monument. Cradled among massive mountains (Cerro de la Olla, Cerro Chiflo, and Cerro Montoso), this dramatic landscape lies only a mile from where the Red River joins the Rio Grande in a scenic 800-foot canyon. In 2018, we added another 648 acres to the national monument adjacent to the Wild Rivers Recreation Area.

In addition to preventing potential development, preserving the rugged, wide-open landscape significantly improved public access to the interior of the monument. In total, TPL has completed nine projects, protecting nearly 22,000 acres, and we are currently working on our tenth, which will add significant new land.

Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy rafting, hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and camping throughout the monument. These outdoor activities also boost the local economy.

“The Río Grande del Norte has long supported our cultural traditions in Northern New Mexico, such as hunting, irrigation, and grazing. As a permanently protected national monument, it will drive even more economic progress and job growth through tourism in communities that desperately need it,” says Tom Udall, former U.S. senator. “This monument designation is a credit to Jeff Bingaman—who led our effort for permanent protection—and residents, businesses, environmentalists, and leaders who so effectively championed the cause.”