Matt Dahlseid

National forests offer some benefits that nearby national parks may lack.

Several years ago in late May, I was making my first foray into the Pacific Northwest during a two-month road trip and was approaching one of my bucket list destinations:

The cost benefit of dispersed camping on vacation is definitely noticeable when reviewing your bank account.

There's a sign hikers pass by on the Winsor Trail early in their ascent from the Santa Fe ski basin parking area to the gate of the Pecos Wilderness that offers an important reminder for those entering the forest.

Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican

Over the years, as I’ve matured from a young adult to near middle age, I’ve become somewhat of a snob when it comes to the places I stay on vacation.

Wildlife biologist Francisco “Kiko” Cortez began his career in the U.S. Forest Service as a teenage intern working as a fisheries technician in the Valle Vidal unit of Carson National

In remote pockets of Santa Fe National Forest, a team of young adults worked from early morning to late afternoon for days on end to clear fallen

Wildlife biologist Francisco “Kiko” Cortez began his career in the U.S. Forest Service as a teenage intern working as a fisheries technician in the Valle Vidal unit of Carson National Forest. Thirty-five years later, and just a few years shy of retirement, he still finds himself entranced by the wonders of the “Valley of Life.”

If you enjoy reading the well-known writers who specialize in describing the lands and stories of the Southwest, you’ll eventually come across a line about Everett Ruess.