The Santa Fe National Forest is 1.6 million acres of mountains, valleys and mesas ranging from 5,000 to 13,000 feet in elevation. Visitors find forested mountains slopes, colorful volcanic formations, deep river gorges and primitive wilderness. Thousands of cultural and archaeological sites reflect the Santa Fe National Forest's rich historical heritage and the many cultures that value this landscape.

The Santa Fe National Forest has a number of special places, including wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, a national recreation area and scenic byways.

There are four wilderness areas on the forest. They cover almost 300,000 acres. Wilderness areas provide primitive recreation options. 

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was passed by Congress in 1968 to protect outstanding free-flowing rivers.There are three wild and scenic rivers on the Forest: the Rio Chama, Pecos, and East Fork of the Jemez. 

National recreation areas (NRAs) were established by Congress to preserve enhanced recreational opportunities in places with significant natural and scenic resources. NRAs emphasize a variety of activities for visitors, including hiking, camping, boating, fishing, swimming, biking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing, in areas that include multiple-use management focused on conservation and limited utilization of natural resources. The Jemez National Recreation Area (JNRA), the only NRA in the Forest Service Southwestern Region, was designated by Congress in 1993 to conserve its recreational, natural and cultural resources. 

The National Scenic Byways Program is a collaborative effort administered by the Federal Highway Administration that recognizes special roadways for their outstanding and unique historic, cultural, natural, archaeological, recreational and scenic qualities. The Santa Fe National Forest has two Scenic and Historic Byways.

The Santa Fe River Canyon contains a bosque of willows and cottonwoods that is being restored. This restoration runs for several miles along the road and has a number of entry points through the fence. Pull well off the road as traffic can be heavy. The Caja del Rio sits on a high mesa above the Santa Fe River. There are sparsely scattered sections of Pinon-juniper woodland, large sections of choya forest, and open grassland. The area contains a number of dry arroyos with associated Pinon-juniper. Directions: From the intersection of NM599 (Santa Fe Relief Route) and Airport Road go southwest past the turnoff to the Santa Fe Airport and the Santa Fe Sewer Treatment Plant. At 1.9 miles is the Santa Fe River Preserve on the left. Continuing another 1.3 miles, a gravel road on the right (SF County 56C) leads up the side of the mesa and onto the top to BLM land (Caja del Rio). A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for this road. Beware of rattlesnakes in this area.