A Sense of Place

A Sense of Place. . "Los Alamos became a magical place...one had only to walk along the piñon-covered promontory to look over the Pajarito Plateau and the Rio Grande Valley." -J. Robert Oppenheimer, "Whenever things went wrong at Los Alamos, and there was never a day when they didn't, we had one consolation. We had a view." -Ruth Marshak in Standing by and Making Do, The Pajarito Plateau and surrounding mountains, canyons, and mesas offer majestic and breathtaking views. For the Ancestral Pueblo people and early Hispano settlers, the plateau provided space to build, farm, and live, while herdsmen and loggers used its natural resources., In the early 20th century, the dramatic landscapes were the perfect setting for the Los Alamos Ranch School, offering the boys invigorating mountain air and trails and forests for outdoor activities., During World War II, the naturally isolated plateau facilitated security and secrecy during the development of the first atomic bomb, and its natural beauty helped wartime workers cope with tense times., The unique geography of the area colored life in the postwar years, even as manmade development continued to transform the landscape., While droughts, forest fires, and harsh weather have always been powerful forces, the surrounding land and sky continue to provide refuge, inspiration, and recreation to those who visit, live, or work in Los Alamos., For more information about our beautiful canyons, mesas, mountains, and skies, please visit the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road and the nearby Valles Caldera National Preserve., From top: , Los Alamos Ranch School riders on top of San Pedro Peak , Photo by T. Harnon Parkhurst Los Alands Historical Society Archives, Los Alamos Ranch School pack train in the Valle Toledo, Ca. 1940 , Photo by Willian Carson Carson Collection Los Alands Historical Society Archives, An aerial view of the snow-covered ski runs of Pajarito Mountain Ski Area , Photo by Los Alamos Monitor Los Alamos Historical Society Archives , A view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Los Alamos , Photo by Mark Rayburn/Rayburn Design Ubp