Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers (1.5 million acres) and is administered by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...

. The Forest Service's "mixed use" policy allows for its use for recreation, grazing, and resource extraction.

Geography

The forest is disjunct with four separate areas managed by six ranger districts. On the east side in the

Sangre de Cristo Mountains The Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Spanish language, Spanish for "Blood of Christ") are the southernmost mountain range, subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States. The mountai ...

are two districts that are separated by the

Taos Pueblo Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos language, Taos-speaking (Tiwa languages, Tiwa) Native American tribe of Puebloan peoples, Puebloan people. It lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico. T ...

. The west side of the forest has three are conjoined districts in the

San Juan Mountains The San Juan Mountains is a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The area is highly mineralized (the Colorado Mineral Belt) and figured in the gold and silver mining industry ...

, sandwiched between the Santa Fe and

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

national forests, and another in the

San Juan Basin The San Juan Basin is a geologic structural basin located near the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States. The basin covers 7,500 square miles and resides in northwestern New Mexico, southwestern Colorado, and parts of Utah a ...

. The forest is located mainly in Rio Arriba (63.4% of acreage) and

Taos Taos or TAOS may refer to: Places * Taos County, New Mexico, United States ** Taos, New Mexico, a city, the county seat of Taos County, New Mexico *** Taos art colony, an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico ** Taos Pueblo, a Native American ...

(34.65%) counties, but smaller areas extend eastward into western Mora and Colfax counties.USFS Ranger Districts by State
/ref> Wheeler Peak, the highest

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

in New Mexico at , is located in the National Forest.

Wilderness areas

Within the Carson National Forest are five designated and one proposed

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural) are Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human activity, or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally ...

s. Two of these are located mostly in neighboring

Santa Fe National Forest The Santa Fe National Forest is a protected national forest in northern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. It was established in 1915 and covers . Elevations range from 5,300 feet (1600 m) to 13,103 feet (4000 m) at the su ...

(as indicated). * Chama River Canyon Wilderness (mostly in Santa Fe NF) * Columbine-Hondo Wilderness * Cruces Basin Wilderness * Latir Peak Wilderness * Pecos Wilderness (mostly in Santa Fe NF) * Wheeler Peak Wilderness The forest's 2021 Land Management Plan has six recommended wilderness areas that meet the definitions of the

Wilderness Act of 1964 The Wilderness Act of 1964 () is a federal land management statute meant to protect federal wilderness and to create a formal mechanism for designating wilderness. It was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. After over sixt ...

and would be suitable additions to the system, which takes an act of Congress. Two areas are adjacent to Chama River Canyon Wilderness, two to Cruces Basin Wilderness, and one to Latir Peak Wilderness. 9,361 acres in the Valle Vidal area are also recommended.

Wild and scenic rivers

Two sections of rivers in the forest are included in the

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

. Five miles of the

Rio Grande River The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Me ...

and 3.25 miles of the Red River were designated as part of the original Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968. Both are managed by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

as part of the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River. The forest's 2021 land management plan identifies 51 river segments, totaling approximately 170 miles, as eligible for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Ranger districts

The forest is administratively divided into six ranger districts with offices in local communities: *Canjilon Ranger District ( Canjilon), San Juan Mountains *Camino Real Ranger District ( Peñasco), Sangre de Cristo Mountains *El Rito Ranger District ( El Rito), San Juan Mountains *Jicarilla Ranger District ( Bloomfield), San Juan Basin *Questa Ranger District ( Questa), Sangre de Cristo Mountains *Tres Piedras Ranger District ( Tres Piedras), San Juan Mountains Each district ranger reports to the forest supervisor, whose office is in

Highest peaks

Some of New Mexico's highest major summits are within the forest: * Wheeler Peak ( Wheeler Peak Wilderness), 13,167 ft, tallest peak * Venado Peak ( Latir Peak Wilderness), 12,739 ft, third tallest peak *Gold Hill, ( Columbine-Hondo Wilderness) 12,700 ft, fourth tallest peak *Cerro Vista, 11,937 ft, ninth tallest peak *San Antonio Mountain, 10,912 ft, 14th tallest peak

Wildlife

Big game animals roam this forest. They include

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...

, elk,

pronghorn The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American ante ...

, black bears,

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

es,

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

s, and

bighorn sheep The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of Ovis, sheep native to North America. It is named for its large Horn (anatomy), horns. A pair of horns may weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates th ...

. There are also many species of smaller mammals and songbirds. Forest personnel work closely with the State Game and Fish Department to provide the best wildlife habitat possible. Carson has four hundred miles of sparkling clean mountain streams and numerous lakes. Many of them are stocked with native trout by the Game and Fish Department.

Recreation

The forest receives up to one million annual visitors, mainly for recreation purposes. Activities include hiking, camping, fishing, mountain biking, downhill and cross-country skiing, wildlife viewing, scenic touring, off-highway vehicle riding, and rock climbing. See El Rito Crags for rock climbing details. There are approximately 600 miles of hiking trails, 85 miles of motorized trails, and 1,000 miles of forest roads.

National trails

Five trails that are fully or partially in the forest are included in the

National Trails System The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

. *Columbine-Twining National Recreation Trail *

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (in short Continental Divide Trail, CDT) is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico and ...

*Jicarita Peak National Recreation Trail * Old Spanish National Historic Trail *South Boundary National Recreation Trail

Scenic Byways

The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway is both a New Mexico Scenic Byway and

National Forest Scenic Byway The National Forest Scenic Byways are roads that have been designated by the U.S. Forest Service as scenic byways. Many are also National Scenic Byways (NSB). The program was initiated in 1987. List The following roadways were listed by the Fede ...

. It is an 84-mile loop that goes through the forest's Camino Real and Questa ranger districts and nearby towns, including

, Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest, and Angel Fire. A portion of the 56-mile High Road to Taos, another state designated scenic byway, goes through the forest's Camino Real Ranger District. Heading north from Santa Fe, the byway travels through the forest on State Road 75 after Vadito, New Mexico, then goes through the Sipapu area before turning onto State Road 518. The byway leaves the forest before reaching Talpa, New Mexico.

Winter and summer resort areas

Four winter and summer resort developments where activities ranging from skiing to mountain biking have special use permits to operate on national forest land: *Enchanted Forest Cross-Country Ski Area * Taos Ski Valley *Red River Ski and Summer Area * Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort

History

The forest was once inhabited by the Ancestral Pueblo people, who left ruins of

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

dwellings and other artifacts at an archaeological site now called Pot Creek Cultural Site. Some areas of the forest were formerly lands granted to settlers by the

Spanish monarchy The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish monarchy is constitu ...

and the

Mexican government The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republ ...

. After the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, the national forest was established, and was named for American pioneer

Kit Carson Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent and United States Army, U.S. Army officer. He became an American frontier legend in his own lifetime ...

. Carson National Forest was established with the merger of Taos National Forest and part of

Jemez National Forest Jemez National Forest in New Mexico was established as the Jemez Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service on October 12, 1905 with . It became a United States National Forest, National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1915 most of the forest ...

on July 1, 1908. The land in the National Forest largely consists of the former

common land Common land is collective land (sometimes only open to those whose nation governs the land) in which all persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect wood, or to cut turf for fuel. A person ...

s of Spanish and American

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

s of which the history of the Las Trampas Land Grant is illustrative. Included in the merged lands was the land surrounding Blue Lake, an important cultural, religious site to the people of Taos Pueblo. In the early 20th century, Taos Pueblo petitioned the federal government to regain Blue Lake, but their requests were denied. Attempts to prevent Taos ceremonies at Blue Lake were included in the government's attempts to assimilate Indigenous peoples into mainstream American culture. The Department of Agriculture therefore denied requests to set aside land at Blue Lake for the Taos Pueblo to perform ceremonies, claiming that it was "foreign to the policies of the Department of Agriculture, when once some land has been set aside as a National Forest, to allow it to be withdrawn completely and donated to a private purpose." In 1965, the Association on American Indian Affairs published a booklet called ''The Blue Lake Appeal'' in order to garner support for requests to return Blue Lake through the Indian Claims Commission (ICC). The ICC then concluded that Taos Pueblo's land had been illegally obtained and no proper amends had been made to rectify it, suggesting a monetary award as compensation. Taos Pueblo refused a monetary settlement, leading to a deliberation in Congress to return Blue Lake back to the tribe. When the bill was deadlocked in Congress, the Taos Pueblo brought their case to President Richard Nixon, who pushed their request through Congress in 1970, returning the Blue Lake to

. In October 1966, the Alianza Federal de Mercedes, an organization dedicated to the restoration of certain land grants entrenched in the 1848

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It was signed on 2 February 1848 in the town of Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the defeat of its army and the fall of the cap ...

to descendants of then-Mexican citizens, occupied the Carson Forest's Echo Amphitheater in an attempt to create a land grant community. The occupants were evicted, after five days, for overstaying camping permits. In 1982, the forest grew by when the

Pennzoil Pennzoil is an American motor oil brand currently owned by Shell plc. The former Pennzoil Company had been established in 1913 in Pennsylvania, being active in business as an independent firm until it was acquired by Shell in 2002, becoming a bra ...

corporation donated the Valle Vidal Unit to the American people. 1967 Nuclear Bomb Test for Gas Fracking known as Project Gasbuggy

Gallery

File:Fall colors Tres piedras NM.jpg, Fall colors near Tres Piedras, in the Carson National Forest File:Wood Hauler, NM.jpg, Wood hauler along the Rio Pueblo, 1941. An average rural family here would use about 20 loads like this per year for fuel wood File:Pot Creek Pueblo 7.JPG, Pot Creek Cultural Site, in Carson Nation Forest, south of Taos

References

External links

Carson National Forest
- US Forest Service * - Enchanted Circle {{Authority control National forests of New Mexico Protected areas established in 1908 Protected areas of San Juan County, New Mexico Protected areas of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Protected areas of Taos County, New Mexico Protected areas of Mora County, New Mexico Protected areas of Colfax County, New Mexico 1908 establishments in New Mexico Territory