Pecos National Historical Park

10/31/2026

Did you miss out on the last opportunity to visit Forked Lightning Pueblo? You have another chance to see it this season! Saturday, November 14th at 1 pm, join a ranger for an off-trail journey to one of Pecos National Historical Park’s less-visited sites! This hike is two miles round trip, includes crossing a stream, and will last about 2.5 hours. Highlights include viewing the site of Forked Lightning Pueblo and the site of a 100-year-old archeology field camp.

Registration in advance is required, and the tour is limited to 20 people. Please call the visitor center at 505-757-7241 to reserve your slot!

For more information visit our park calendar at https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=85BF76B4-BE3E-9D22-D762E5FB70C95D71

NPS Photo

10/11/2026

Sunday, October 25th at 1 pm, take the road less traveled and join a ranger for an off-trail journey to one of Pecos National Historical Park’s less-visited sites! Arrowhead Pueblo is a one-mile round-trip to a 14th century site on this 1.5-hour long program.

Registration in advance is required, and the tour is limited to 20 people. Please call the visitor center at 505-757-7241 to reserve your spot!

For more information visit our park calendar at https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=1913152C-0FB3-E65D-081C0FA5F4859721

NPS Photo

10/05/2026

Today’s homework: thank a teacher.

National parks are places where students can learn about history by standing where it happened, explore science by observing nature, and discover stories that help us better understand the people and places that shaped our world.

Behind those experiences are teachers helping students ask questions, make connections, and learn about the world around them.

On World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate the educators who inspire curiosity, encourage exploration and remind us that learning can happen just about anywhere. (Including places with a really good view.)

Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/teachers/index.htm

NPS Image

10/05/2026

Every day from October 12 to November 5, 2026, visit Mission San José's granary during park hours (9am-5pm) to view the mission descendant community's family ofrendas.

Ofrendas are an essential part of Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead. The word ofrenda means offering in Spanish. They are also called "altares" or altars, but not for worship. These altars are not only full of family pictures, but of symbols and meaning, honoring the ancestors who have passed, and offering them items of the celebration such a "pan de mu**to" and marigold flowers.

NPS Photo

10/04/2026

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” — Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

And we’re rather glad there are national parks to experience them in. Fall is a great time to get outside and enjoy the spectacular spectacle (say that five times fast) of changing leaves. There is plenty of room for imagination when you find yourself surrounded by forests painted in brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold. In our experience, you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will. So consider this your invitation to find a little wonder, a little enchantment, and perhaps a kindred spirit among the trees.

Forests, woods, and shrublands in national parks put on their autumn colors from September through December. There’s a whole world of beauty waiting to be explored!

Image 1: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Image 2: Great Smoky Mountains NP
Image 3: Great Sand Dunes NPP
Image 4: Rocky Mountain National Park
Image 5: TheodoreRooseveltNPS

10/03/2026

“On October 3rd, he asked what day it was.” — Cady Heron

It’s October 3rd.

October is kind of a big deal around here. The autumn months splash many national parks with a rich array of fall colors, while cooler temperatures have wildlife getting ready for winter. Some are migrating. Some are gathering food. Some are putting on extra layers.

Same, honestly.

So whether you’re here for the foliage, the wildlife, or simply to judge the leaves on their color palette, national parks are a pretty fetch place to experience fall. Fetch? We’re making it happen.

And if you want to keep up with what’s happening in parks this season, you can find more ways to connect with your national parks at the link below.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/fall-season.htm

Image: Red Osier Dogwood leaves stand out against aspen trunks at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. NPS/Patrick Myers

10/02/2026

Friday, October 16th at 1 pm, join a ranger for an off-trail journey to one of Pecos National Historical Park’s less-visited sites! This hike is two miles round trip, includes crossing a stream, and will last about 2.5 hours. Highlights include viewing the site of Forked Lightning Pueblo and the site of a 100-year-old archeology field camp.

Registration in advance is required, and the tour is limited to 20 people. Please call the visitor center at 505-757-7241 to reserve your slot!

For more information visit our park calendar at https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=B9A5FEE5-A3AA-8388-3254793CE364396B

NPS Photo

10/02/2026

10/02/2026

Wherever military life takes you, there’s likely a park adventure nearby.

Active-duty military members, Veterans, and Gold Star families can get a free America the Beautiful Pass, providing access to national parks and federal recreation sites across the country.

Active-duty military families can also find free events, nearby outdoor opportunities, and resources for exploring national parks, public lands, and waterways through the Military Families Outdoors Program, wherever military life takes them. Visit: go.nps.gov/mfo

Whether you’re PCSing, exploring near your duty station, or looking for a weekend adventure, your next park visit may be closer than you think.

NPS Photo: Rangers at Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park recently teamed up with Blue Star Families and community partners for a day of fishing, outdoor fun, and family time at Fletchers Cove.

Blue Star Families Defense Public Health

10/01/2026

Fat Bear Week has officially lumbered to a close.

What a week. As they say, a journey of roughly 3,000 to 4,500 calories begins with a single salmon. Something like that. There might be some steps involved too.

In the end, 16 bears entered. Bear 89 “Backpack” became champion. Talk about the hunger games. And several ate their way into our hearts. Figuratively. And thousands of us humans spent an unreasonable amount of time judging bears for being excellent at being, well, bears.

It was a week of big bellies, bigger appetites, and absolutely no regrets. We shared some science, learned about the Alaskan ecosystem, stood around for hours watching large mammals eat, and found multiple way to incorporate “chonk” in everyday vocabulary.

Now the bears have more important things to do, such as eating then sleeping, a bit more eating, sleeping, and finally preparing to sleep after eating. As for the rest of us, we all return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Must we?

We must.

We will miss you, Fat Bear Week. Until next year: stay chunky, stay hungry, and remember: there’s always room for one more salmon.

NPS Images

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

Now that Fat Bear Week is over, it's time for Chunky Puppy Day! Tune in to the Puppy Cam tomorrow, Thursday, October 1, at 2pm AK time to find out how big the America's Best Idea litter got this summer.

How much do you think they weigh now? Share your guesses in the comments below.

NPS Photo: Graupel from the Weather litter during a weigh-in last year.

09/30/2026

This is the ideal marmot body. You may not like it. You may not understand it. But this is what peak performance looks like.

Now that Fat Bear Week is over, we’re returning to our regularly scheduled programming: other fat mammals.

The tundra-dwelling yellow-bellied marmots have been preparing for hibernation for the last couple of months. Since marmots spend more than half their lives hibernating, they’ve developed some impressive adaptations for surviving the winter:

✅ First, they’ve been building up healthy fat reserves (sound familiar? Bears. Us too, but that’s another post) to sustain them for up to eight months. Basically, a nice winter savings account.

✅ When they finally enter hibernation, they become true hibernators, slowing their heart rate from around 200 beats per minute to as low as 30. It’s an impressive energy-saving strategy.

✅ Speaking of saving, they also save on utilities by cuddling up with the colony in a communal burrow. Because heating is expensive, and roommates are the answer. Was that on the lease?

NPS Photo: A rotund marmot standing on a rock at Rocky Mountain National Park

08/18/2026

Partial Lunar Eclipse Viewing Program

Reservations Required by calling 505-757-7241 or stopping by the visitor center. Space is very limited.

Thursday, August 27
8:00 – 10:30 p.m. Gates open at 8 p.m. There will be no park access beforehand.
Join rangers and local astronomers to view the partial lunar eclipse. The evening will start with a short program followed by telescope viewing of the eclipse from the mission church. Bring a flashlight or headlamp for each person in your group. A jacket and a chair to sit on is also recommended.

The partial lunar eclipse will begin at 8:33 p.m. and the maximum eclipse, whereby the largest portion of the moon will be in Earth's deep umbral shadow, will occur at 10:12 pm. Park viewing will end at 10:30 pm.

08/01/2026

The monsoon season has finally arrived! Stage II Fire Restrictions have been lifted from Pecos National Historical Park.
Even with the arrival of the rainy season please continue to use general fire safety precautions. Smoking is not allowed within 25 feet of federal buildings.

NPS Photo

06/25/2026

Pecos National Historical Park Implements Stage II Fire Restrictions

Under the provisions of 36 CFR 1.5(a): Due to the increased risk of wildfire in the region, the Pueblo Parks Group, which includes Pecos National Historical Park, Bandelier National Monument, Fort Union National Monument, and Valles Caldera National Preserve, have entered Stage II fire restrictions until further notice. These restrictions are necessary to help land management agencies reduce fire risk and prevent wildfires. At Pecos NHP, this primarily affects smokers. Until further notice, smoking is prohibited, except in enclosed vehicles.

While there are no fires currently in Pecos NHP, the NPS uses several criteria to determine when to implement fire restrictions, including local area fire activity levels, current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, and the availability of firefighting resources. Fire restriction criteria are routinely evaluated, and restrictions could be upgraded or downgraded at any time. Therefore, visitors should check the park’s website for alerts.

https://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm

06/17/2026

Construction at Pecos National Historical Park's visitor center parking lot will continue on June 22nd. Repaving work is expected to continue through approximately July 3rd. There will be limited parking near the visitor center area of the park while this paving and repair project occurs.

During this time, there will be no parking or drop-offs directly at the visitor center. All vehicles will be directed to the Upper Parking Lot. From there, visitors will be able to walk 0.3 miles on a packed gravel trail to the visitor center or begin exploring the Ancestral Sites Trail. Space will be especially limited for large vehicles, buses, and RVs. Delays entering the park will be likely at times. Visitors should be alert for construction equipment, workers, and flaggers.

ADA accessible parking at the visitor center available upon request.

Access to the Forked Lightning Ranch and Glorieta Battlefield Trails will not be impacted and ranger-led programs will take place as scheduled.

Updates to the project timeline will be posted here and on the park website:

https://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

NPS Photo

06/05/2026

As of this morning, June 5th, New Mexico Department of Transportation is currently repaving sections of Highway 63, the access road to Pecos National Historical Park. The project is expected to be completed around June 11th, and during this period delays entering the park will be likely at times. Visitors should be alert for construction equipment, workers, and flaggers.

On Saturday, June 6th, we anticipate paving work will be directly in front of our main gate and will temporarily block access to this section of the park for approximately 30 minutes. Potential timeframe is currently between 10-11am but this is subject to change. For up-to-date information give us a call at 505-757-7241.

Access to the Glorieta Battlefield Trail will not be impacted. Ranger-led programs will take place as scheduled.

NPS Photo

05/14/2026

Construction at Pecos National Historical Park's visitor center parking lot started today, May 14th. Repaving work is expected to continue through approximately May 26th. There will be limited parking near the visitor center area of the park while a paving and repair project occurs.

During this time, there will be no parking or drop-offs directly at the visitor center. All vehicles will be directed to the Upper Parking Lot. From there, visitors will be able to walk 0.3 miles on a packed gravel trail to the visitor center or begin exploring the Ancestral Sites Trail. Space will be especially limited for large vehicles, buses, and RV's. Delays entering the park will be likely at times. Visitors should be alert for construction equipment, workers, and flaggers.

Access to the Forked Lightning Ranch and Glorieta Battlefield Trails will not be impacted and ranger-led programs will take place as scheduled.

Updates to the project timeline will be posted here and on the park website:

https://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

05/06/2026

Beginning on Monday, May 11th, and running through approximately Wednesday, May 21, there will be limited parking near the visitor center area of the park while a paving and repair project occurs.

During this time, there will be no parking or drop-offs directly at the visitor center. All vehicles will be directed to the Upper Parking Lot. From there, visitors will be able to walk 0.3 miles on a packed gravel trail to the visitor center or begin exploring the Ancestral Sites Trail. Space will be especially limited for large vehicles, buses, and RV's. Delays entering the park will be likely at times. Visitors should be alert for construction equipment, workers, and flaggers.

Access to the Forked Lightning Ranch and Glorieta Battlefield Trails will not be impacted and ranger-led programs will take place as scheduled.

Updates to the project timeline will be posted here and on the park website:
https://www.nps.gov/peco/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

NPS Photo