Aldo Leopold House available for overnight stays

By JOHN WATERS, Courier News Editor
Posted 1/22/25

TRES PIEDRAS, N.M. — Carson National Forest has announced the opening of the Aldo Leopold House for overnight stays, a place steeped in the legacy of the renowned conservationist. Reservations for this historic site are now available for the first overnight stays scheduled to begin on May 1. 

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Aldo Leopold House available for overnight stays

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TRES PIEDRAS, N.M. — Carson National Forest has announced the opening of the Aldo Leopold House for overnight stays, a place steeped in the legacy of the renowned conservationist. Reservations for this historic site are now available for the first overnight stays scheduled to begin on May 1. 

After graduating from Yale University Forest School in 1909, Leopold began working for the U.S. Forest Service in the Arizona and New Mexico territories, and in 1911, transferred to the Carson National Forest.  

Leopold is widely known as the visionary behind the idea of wilderness and what would become wildlife ecology and modern conservation. A prolific writer, he founded and edited the first forest service newsletter, the "Carson Pine Cone."  

He later wrote many essays, including, "Thinking Like a Mountain," which included his experience shooting a wolf: "We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes, — something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then and full of trigger-itch. I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters' paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view."  

Leopold would write, "I have lived to see state after state extirpate its wolves. I have watched the face of many a newly wolfless mountain, and seen the south-facing slopes wrinkle with a maze of new deer trails. I have seen every edible bush and seedling browsed, first to anemic desuetude and then to death. I have seen every edible tree defoliated to the height of a saddlehorn. Such a mountain looks as if someone had given God new pruning shears, and forbidden him all other exercise. In the end, the starved bones of the hoped-for deer herd, dead of its own too-much, bleach with the bones of the dead sage or molder under the high-lined junipers." 

In 1949, a year after his death while fighting a wildfire, his most famous book, "A Sand County Almanac," was published. In this work, he penned his ecological ideals on landscapes, "A land ethic…reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land. Health is the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity." In this credo, Leopold articulated a view that included ecological wholes that include water, plants, soils, and animals, what we now refer to as ecosystems. To this day, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service terms him an “ethical ecologist." 

Regarding "A Sand County Almanac," the Forest Service says this about the book, "…now stands as a classic among nature literature along with Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Leopold is considered by many to be the father of modern conservation."  

Leopold was an avid hunter and student of wildlife. He taught at the University of Wisconsin and wrote the first textbook on wildlife management titled, "Game Management."  

He spearheaded the effort to create a protected area on the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, and later became one of the founders of the Wilderness Society. Long before the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Gila Wilderness was created and remains a tribute to his efforts. 

Today, the public has a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Leopold's legacy (and writing) by spending a night or two at his former home in Tres Piedras. The structure, built by Leopold himself in 1912, holds a significant place in the history of conservation. 

 "Aldo built this cabin, and its bones have stood the test of time. We've put in a considerable amount of work to preserve this treasure and bring it up to code to open it up for the public at large," said District Ranger Angie Krall, a former archeologist with experience restoring cabins on the neighboring Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado in a press release. 

According to the Forest Service, “With private and public funding, most recently from the bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which paid for a new roof and septic system, forest staff were able to get the building up to code for public use. Private funding was provided through the Taos Community Foundation, where local volunteer Dr. Richard Rubin fundraised and led major improvements, including exterior painting, installing stair railings, repairing the porches, and purchasing a new gas stove. Historicorps completed a full house restoration in 2006.”  

The two-story bungalow will be available for groups of up to eight people. It features four bedrooms, one full bathroom, a kitchen, dining room and living room, with a front and back porch. The cost is $175 a night, with funds going toward managing the rental, ongoing maintenance and building capacity for potentially expanding overnight cabin rental opportunities across the forest.  

More information and rules can be found on recreation.gov, where reservations can be made for dates beginning on May 1. Reservations can also be made by calling 1-877-444-6777. True to many cabin rentals throughout national forests, guests must bring their own supplies, including soap, bedding, and towels. The home will be available annually in the spring, summer, and fall. The Leopold House is about 60 miles south of Alamosa via U.S. Route 285 on Rodando Road in Tres Piedras. Reservations are required and can be made by visiting www.recreation.gov. 

To learn more about Aldo Leopold, visit the Aldo Leopold Foundation website at www.aldoleopold.org.