Park Hours (Today)
All Day
El Malpais Visitor Center: 9:00AM - 5:00PM
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About the Park
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!
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What to See & Do
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.
Self-Guided Tours
Lava Falls Self Guided Hike
Explore a one-mile loop on the youngest lava flow in the region with nine interpretive stops along the way.
El Calderon Self Guided Hike
Enjoy this approximately 3 mile long self guided tour along the El Calderon Trail in El Malpais National Monument. This moderately difficult trail follows a gravel and dirt path up to the top of a cinder cone volcano (approximately 200 feet elevation gain). Enjoy views of lava tube caves and trenches, cinder cone volcanoes, and mixed ponderosa forests.
Visitor Centers
El Malpais Visitor Center
Located on exit 85 off I-40 in Grants, NM, the El Malpais Visitor Center is staffed by park rangers from the National Park Service. Stop in for maps, information, orientation, cave permits, a Western National Parks bookstore, museum exhibits, and park movies.
Getting Here & Transit
How to Get Here
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.
Park Amenities
Operating Hours
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.
- MondayAll Day
- TuesdayAll Day
- WednesdayAll Day
- ThursdayAll Day
- FridayAll Day
- SaturdayAll Day
- SundayAll Day
Photos
Hiking in Summer
Summer at Sandstone Bluffs Overlook
Summer view from El Calderon cinder cone
Lava Tube caving at El Malpais
When to Go
Crowd CalendarPlan your trip around peak seasons to avoid crowds or embrace the energy of the busy months. Our crowd predictions are based on historical NPS Visitor Use Statistics.
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Best Time
May-September
Trip Length
1 day
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Planning El Malpais National Monument
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