El Malpais National Monument
NM
Park Alerts (3)
About El Malpais National Monument
The richly diverse volcanic landscape of El Malpais (el-mal-pie-EES) offers solitude, recreation, and adventure. Explore incredible geologic features such as young lava flows, cinder cones, lava tubes, and sandstone bluffs. While some may see a desolate environment, people have been adapting to and living in this extraordinary terrain for generations.
Come visit the land of frozen fire!
Things To Do
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See a Bat Outflight at Bat Cave
On warm summer evenings, Mexican free-tailed bats burst from a lava tube known as Bat Cave for a night of hunting insects over the lava flows of El Malpais National Monument. Witness this phenomenon for yourself along the El Calderon Trail off Highway 53.
Hike the El Calderon Trail
El Calderon Area at El Malpais National Monument offers easy to moderate difficulty hiking past lava tube caves, over ancient lava flows, and around the top of an extinct cinder cone. This trail can be hiked as a 3 mile or 5 mile route.
Traverse the Lava Falls Trail
Take a hike on the youngest lava flow in El Malpais National Monument and in New Mexico. You will encounter numerous unique volcanic features on this one- mile cairned route.
El Malpais Night Skies
Explore the Milky Way, countless stars, and planets any time of year! You don’t have to travel far into El Malpais to look deep into space!
Explore Sandstone Bluffs Overlook
Gaze across one of the youngest lava flows in the continental U.S. from the vantage of a high sandstone bluff created during the time of the dinosaurs. Explore the cliffs for different views, including a glimpse of New Mexico's second highest mountain!
Visit La Ventana Natural Arch
La Ventana Natural Arch is a beautiful natural arch formation located just off Highway 117 in El Malpais National Conservation Area.
Available Activities
Weather
As a general rule, daily temperatures swing roughly 30 (F) from night lows to afternoon highs. Summer is sunny and hot with monsoon rain storms and an average high of 80 (F). Winter is cool, sunny, with potential snow storms and an average high of 45 (F).
Spring and fall are generally dry with the occasional storm rain and/or snow storm. For more information on weather and current weather conditions visit https://www.nps.
gov/elma/planyourvisit/weather.
Getting There
No roads exist through El Malpais National Monument. To explore the east side of the park, take exit 89 off I-40 and head south on Highway 117. To explore the north side of the park, take exit 81 off I-40 and head south on Highway 53.
To reach the visitor center, take exit 85 off I-40 in Grants, New Mexico. After you exit, head south on Santa Fe Ave and continue straight over the freeway overpass. Take a left at the entrance sign for El Malpais Visitor Center and continue 300 yards to the parking lot.
Plan Your Visit
Let Roamze help you plan the perfect trip to El Malpais National Monument with AI-powered itineraries.
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El Malpais National Monument
El Malpais National Monument is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the following exceptions: - Sandstone Bluffs Overlook and the West Zuni-Acoma Trail parking lot are open from sunrise to sunset. - El Malpais Visitor Center and parking area is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Winter hours may vary. The visitor center is closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 25th, and January 1st. - El Malpais Emergency Operations Center is currently closed to the public.
