Jemez / Santa Fe NF

6,500–11,200 ft · NM🚗 Directions

Good

Santa Fe NF in the Jemez Mountains. Volcanic caldera creates unique terrain. Mixed conifer and aspen. Post-fire morels following major burns. Summer monsoon key for king boletes.

Trees:Ponderosa Pine Douglas Fir Aspen

Permit Info →

Updated Oct 11, 5:05 AM MT

AI Conditions Report

AI-generated · verify in field

Jemez / Santa Fe NF is rated Good for fruiting. Soil is at 52°F with the moisture trigger met, and snowmelt is complete, so the whole elevation band is open. The 14-day total of 2.05" is carrying the system, but only 0.01" has fallen in the last 7 days, and soil moisture is sliding (0.18 VWC today vs 0.21 on the 7-day average). That makes moisture the limiting factor. Mycorrhizal targets are all rated high: matsutake, hedgehogs, saffron milk caps, the boletes (bay, painted, chicken-fat, admirable, slippery jack), chanterelles, Lobster Mushroom, Pig's Ears, Bleeding Tooth, Hawks Wing, and the coral and tooth fungi. Warmth-dependent species like Cauliflower Mushroom, Devil's Cigar, Banded Mottlegill, and both stinkhorns are only moderate because 52°F is below their 55-58°F minimums. Expect flushes to stall if the dry stretch continues, so watch for the next rain event. Even a modest soaking would reset the moisture trend and push the high-rated species into a fresh flush. Hot tip: Hunt north-facing slopes and drainage bottoms with deep duff, where moisture lingers longest, and target matsutake and boletes there before the drying trend thins the flush.

Generated by Claude (Anthropic) from the structured weather, soil, and phenology data on this page. The LLM can misread edge cases — treat this as a starting hypothesis, not a guarantee. Always verify conditions on the ground before committing to a long drive.

Foraging Potential80/100

✅Moisture

✅Soil Temp

✅No Freeze

✅No Drought

Precip 7d

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Nearby Camping

Within(7)

Camp May

developed

~6.8 mi from center

Santa Clara Canyon Campground

developed

~7.5 mi from center

Redondo

developed

USFS8,100 ft~7.7 mi from center$10/night

60 sites

Near Valles Caldera. Aspen and spruce-fir. Monsoon triggers king boletes.

vault toiletfire ring

Open May–Oct

San Antonio Group Campground

developed

USFS~9.3 mi from centerFee required/night

Reserve →

SAN ANTONIO CAMPGROUND

developed

USFS~9.3 mi from center

Santa Fe National Forest

Reserve →

Redondo Campground

developed

USFS~9.4 mi from centerFee required/night

Santa Fe National Forest

Reserve →

Banco Bonito Campground (Special Use Permit Required)

developed

~10 mi from center

⚠ Road Access Notice

Always verify road access is public before following GPS directions to mountain areas. Many forest roads are seasonal, gated, or require 4WD. Dispersed camping follows USFS/BLM rules (typically 14-day limit). Check ranger district offices for current road and campground conditions.