Visited: April 2024
Nearby town: Grants, NM
In west-central New Mexico lies a vast expanse of lava flows and cinder cones known as the Zuni-Bandera volcanic field. The Acoma people continuously inhabited this area for thousands of years. A trail that connected their Pueblo to the Zuni Pueblo, over a hundred miles away, traversed this harsh and inhospitable landscape. There are numerous ice caves in this area. The Acoma people used the ice caves as a water source when travelling to and from the Zuni Pueblo. This trail still exists today.
In 1540, the Spanish Conquistador, Coronado, passed through this volcanic field during his expedition to find the legendary seven cities of gold ("Cibola"). He named the area El Malpais (Spanish for "badlands").
Although the land appears barren and desolate, it is home to a remarkable biodiversity. Over 190 bird species live in the volcanic field (including peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, kestrels, great horned owls), along with a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians such as rattlesnakes, horned lizards, collard lizards, and canyon tree frogs. There are also coyotes, black bears and elk. Bats can be found in many of the ice caves. Due to the high elevation, you will find conifer trees such as pinon, juniper, and some of the oldest living Rocky Mountain Douglas-firs in the world. El Malpais National Monument was established in 1987 to protect and preserve this unique and diverse environment.
The visitor center is located in the nearby town of Grants, New Mexico. From Grants, you can take either State Highway 53 along the western/northern edge of the main lava flow, or State Highway 117, which traverses the eastern/southern edge of the lava flow. We explored the western side of the park first. Here you will find the El Calderon trailhead. This is a pleasant hike to the top of a 60,000 year old cinder cone, El Calderon. The full figure-8 loop hike is 4.8 miles. We started bright and early and had the trail pretty much to ourselves. It was a crisp, beautiful day with a bright blue expansive sky. A very pleasant experience. The trailhead starts at a high elevation, so bear that in mind. The top of El Calderon is at an elevation of 7,359 ft. The trail passes along a few ice caves. The ice caves are closed seasonally to protect hibernating bats.
At the base of El Calderon.
The Crater of El Calderon
I like my silhouette as the sun rises on the cave entrance
Junction Cave
cacti
During World War II, the US Army used the land that is now the National Monument as a bombing range/target practice. Most of the munitions have been removed, but there is a very small chance that you may run across some unexploded bombs or fuses along the trails and in the backcountry (particularly if you are hiking in the lava fields).
A little further west of the El Calderon trailhead is Bandera Ice Cave. Although this cave is technically within park boundaries, it is privately owned and operated.
More info about Bandera Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano Crater here: https://www.icecaves.com/
We then explored the eastern side of the National Monument. Our first stop was the Sandstone Bluffs. These bluffs offer impressive views of the lava field and surrounding landscape. Very scenic. A great place to watch the sunset. This was my favorite spot in the entire park.
The tall snow-capped peak on the horizon is Mt. Taylor (11,305 ft.)
looking out over the Zuni-Bandera volcanic field (aka El Malpais). It was very windy!
Another must-see sight is La Ventana Natural Arch. This large arch is right alongside the road, and it's a short 1/4-mile walk to the viewing area. A great place for a picnic lunch.
Our last stop in the park was the Lava Falls Trail. This loop trail is only a mile long, and will give you a little taste of what it's like to hike on a lava flow. There's no shade on the trail, so bring lots of water (particularly if hiking in the summer months). The ground is rough, rocky, and uneven. Follow the cairns to not get lost.
We had a great visit at El Malpais National Monument. I feel that it is one of the overlooked gems of our National Park Service. More info: https://www.nps.gov/elma/index.htm
We stayed the night in Grants, New Mexico. This is an interesting town (pop: 9,163) with a rich history. Originally founded as a railroad camp in the 1880s, it was a center of the logging industry. In the 1920s/30s, it was a popular stop along the famous "Route 66" as thousands moved west to California. The sleepy village transformed overnight in 1950 when Paddy Martinez, a Navajo sheepherder, discovered uranium ore at nearby Haystack Mesa. Used to run newly-developed nuclear power plants, uranium was a precious and valuable commodity. The discovery prompted numerous companies to begin mining operations in the mountains outside of Grants, leading to a uranium boom that lasted until the 1980s. We visited the New Mexico Mining Museum in downtown Grants to learn more about the area and what it was like to work in a uranium mine.
Drive-through Route 66 sign
