Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
Tucked away in the middle of New Mexico you’ll find Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. Its three distinct sites offer a glimpse into a unique time in history—a time entrenched with cultural borrowing, conflict and struggles. These sites continue to stand as reminders of the Spanish and Pueblo peoples’ early encounters and prompt exploration of today’s interactions among different people.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedLower Kirtland Rx
47 mi from the park's reference point
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Headquarters, Abó, Quarai, and Gran Quivira | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027Winter Hours | 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Abó Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Abo visitor center features restrooms, a bookstore, and a few exhibit panels. An oversized vehicle parking lot is around the corner to the north of the visitor center.
- Gran Quivira Visitor Center
The Gran Quivira visitor center features restrooms, a bookstore, and a museum featuring artifacts recovered from the site.
- Headquarters Visitor Center
For the best experience, kick off your visit at the Headquarters visitor center in Mountainair, NM. At this location, you can grab all four passport stamps from the park, watch a fifteen-minute film about the area, check out the museum, and shop at the WNPA bookstore.
- Quarai Visitor Center
The Quarai Visitor Center features restrooms, a bookstore, and a museum. An oversized vehicle parking lot is available prior to entering the main parking lot.
Explore
Things to do
- Quarai Ranger-Led Hikes30-60 Minutes
Quarai Ranger-Led Hikes
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Quarai30-120 Minutes
Visit Quarai
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Gran Quivira30-120 Minutes
Visit Gran Quivira
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Abó30-120 Minutes
Visit Abó
Opens on the Park Service site - Abó Ranger-Led Hikes30-60 Minutes
Abó Ranger-Led Hike
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Headquarters15-45 Minutes
Visit Headquarters
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Quarai Ranger-Guided Hikes10/1611:00 AM · runs through Oct 30 · freeThe guided hikes will start at the Quarai visitor center.
- Gran Quivira Ranger-Guided Hikes10/1711:00 AM · runs through Oct 31 · freeRanger-guided hikes will start at the Gran Quivira visitor center.
- Abó Ranger-Guided Hikes10/1811:00 AM · runs through Nov 1 · freeThe guided hike will begin at the Abó visitor center.
- Ethnobotany Nature Walk at Quarai!10/2411:00 AM · freeQuarai Unit of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. (122 Manzano Quarai Road, Mountainair, NM 87036)
- 2026 BARK in the Park Hike!11/0710:00 AM · freeQuarai Unit of Salinas Pueblos Missions National Monument. Located 8 miles north of Mountainair, NM.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for New Mexico's national parks and the Southwest
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthAmerican Badger 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 163 birds, 58 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Barn Owl · American Kestrel · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Mississippi Kite · Northern Harrier · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Western Screech-Owl
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · Cinnamon Teal · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsKilldeer · Spotted Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesBand-tailed Pigeon · Eurasian Collared-Dove · Gambel's Quail · Mourning Dove · Scaled Quail · White-winged Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersHairy Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker · Lewis's Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBlack-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black Phoebe · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue Grosbeak · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Creeper · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's oriole · Bushtit · Cactus Wren · Canyon Towhee · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Finch · Cassin's Kingbird · Cassin's Vireo · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Clark's Nutcracker · Clay-colored Sparrow · Cliff Swallow · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Curve-billed Thrasher · Dark-eyed Junco · Dickcissel · Dusky Flycatcher · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Phoebe · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Gray Catbird · Gray Flycatcher · Gray Vireo · Greater Roadrunner · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hepatic Tanager · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Warbler · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Juniper Titmouse · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Lucy's Warbler · MacGillivray's Warbler · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Waterthrush · Northern Yellow Warbler · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orchard Oriole · Phainopepla · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rock Wren · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Thrasher · Say's Phoebe · Scarlet Tanager · Scott's Oriole · Song Sparrow · Sora · Spotted Towhee · Steller's Jay · Summer Tanager · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Western Bluebird · Western Flycatcher · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Warbling Vireo · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-throated Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Winter Wren · Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay · Worm-eating Warbler · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler
Small mammalsBanner-tailed Kangaroo Rat · Black-tailed Jackrabbit · Botta's Pocket Gopher · Brush Deermouse · Colorado Chipmunk · Crawford's Gray Shrew · Desert Cottontail · Hispid Cotton Rat · House Mouse · Long-tailed Vole · Mexican Woodrat · Mogollon vole · North American Porcupine · Northern Grasshopper Mouse · Northern Rock Mouse · Ord's Kangaroo Rat · Pinyon Deermouse · Plains Pocket Gopher · Plains Pocket Mouse · Rock Squirrel · Silky Pocket Mouse · Southern Plains Woodrat · Texas Antelope Squirrel · Western Deermouse · Western Harvest Mouse · White-footed Mouse · White-throated Woodrat
PredatorsAmerican Badger · American Black Bear · Bobcat · Coyote · Gray Fox · Kit Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Mountain Lion · Red Fox · Ringtail · Striped Skunk · Western Spotted Skunk
Hoofed mammalsMule Deer · Pronghorn
BatsBig Brown Bat · Big Free-tailed Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Eastern Red Bat · Fringed Myotis · Little Brown Bat · Long-legged Myotis · Northern Hoary Bat · Pallid Bat · Silver-haired Bat · Spotted Bat · Townsend's Big-eared Bat · Western Pipistrelle · Western Small-footed Myotis · Yuma Myotis
Also on the checklistEastern Cotontail
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 13 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Salinas Pueblo Missions is located at an elevation of 6100-6500 ft (1860-1980 m) in an arid climate. Average annual rainfall is about 15 inches. Winters can be cold and snowy. Summer highs are above 90°F/32°C with cool evenings. The months of June-September often have thunderstorms. Flash flooding may occur in the area. Abó is especially prone to road closures as a result. Spring highs average 75°F/24°C. Fall temperatures are a little cooler. High winds often occur, which may result in trail closures.
Questions people ask
Does Salinas Pueblo Missions charge an entrance fee?
No. Salinas Pueblo Missions is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Salinas Pueblo Missions?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Salinas Pueblo Missions?
32,144 recreation visits in 2025, number 298 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Salinas Pueblo Missions?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show T-Mobile 5G. No reported coverage for Verizon and AT&T. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Is Salinas Pueblo Missions good for stargazing?
Yes. Salinas Pueblo Missions is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: Dark sky parks
What is the weather like at Salinas Pueblo Missions?
Salinas Pueblo Missions is located at an elevation of 6100-6500 ft (1860-1980 m) in an arid climate. Average annual rainfall is about 15 inches.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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