Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area
United States National Heritage Area in New Mexico
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area is a federally designated National Heritage Area in the U.S. state of New Mexico.[1] The national heritage area includes a section of the upper Rio Grande Valley that has been inhabited by the Puebloan peoples since the early Pre-Columbian era.
Three counties, Santa Fe, Taos, and Rio Arriba are included in the designated National Heritage Area.[2] The Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area was authorized in 2006 by Public Law 109-338.[2][3]
Sites
Pueblos
Eight pueblos are included in the National Heritage Area:[4]
- Nambé Pueblo
- Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo,
- Picuris Pueblo
- Pojoaque Pueblo
- San Ildefonso Pueblo
- Santa Clara Pueblo
- Taos Pueblo — a World Heritage Site.
- Tesuque Pueblo
The Jicarilla Apache reservation is also within the heritage area.[4]
Spanish colonial sites
The heritage area also commemorates the influence of Hispanic colonists from the Viceroyalty of New Spain (colonial México), who arrived in the late 1590s and onwards.[5]
Spanish colonial sites in the National Heritage Area include:
- Historic center−core of Santa Fe
- Ranchos de Taos
- 16 National Historic Landmarks
- 270 other historic properties, including those on the National Register of Historic Places, of the pre-statehood era.[6]
Natural areas
Natural areas protected at the federal level within the National Heritage Area include portions of:[7]
- Santa Fe National Forest
- Carson National Forest
- Valles Caldera National Preserve
- Bandelier National Monument
- Pecos National Monument.
State parks
New Mexico state parks within the heritage area include:[7]
Scenic drives and byways
Scenic drives and byways with sections through parts of the heritage area include:
- Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
- Puyé Scenic Byway
- El Camino Real National Scenic Byway
- Route 66 National Scenic Byway
- Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway
- Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway
- Wild Rivers Back Country Scenic Byway
- High Road to Taos
.jpg)
