El Malpais (pronounce mal-pie-ees) is Spanish for “badlands” or “bad country” due to its volcanic terrain. The national monument is dominated by volcanic features from recent eruptions of the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field.
Landscape
There are many lava tube cave systems, cinder cones, and spatter cones. Cinder cones, small volcanoes, make up most of the volcanic vents in the monument.
Five young basaltic lava flows cover the landscape: Bandera, El Calderon, Hoya de Cibola, McCartys, and Twin Craters flows. El Calderon flows are the oldest and the McCartys Flow is the most recent.
Two types of lava flows here are a‘ā and pāhoehoe. A‘ā (pronounced ah-ah) is rough and jagged; it was clumpy and slow when it flowed. Pāhoehoe (pronounced pah-hoy-hoy) has a smoother surface due to its fluidity and ease moving across the land.
Along the highway we spotted rubbly pāhoehoe, where the crust breaks into pieces due to inflation.
El Malpais National Monument
El Malpais
2023 Price: No entrance fee
The monument is basically split along two roads – Highway 117 and Highway 53. There are few pull-offs except for trailhead parking areas. Sites along Highway 117 include La Ventana Arch, Lava Falls Trail, Sandstone Bluffs Overlook, and Zuni-Acoma Trail. Highway 53 sites include Bandera Volcano and Ice Cave, Big Tubes Area, El Calderon Area, and Zuni-Acoma Trail.
Note: Permits are required for all lava tube caves.
Lava Falls Trail
This 1.1-mile loop trail, part of the McCartys Flow, leads to an amphitheater of lava. Due to the lava flow terrain, the trail is marked by cairns (rock piles).
We started the day on the Lava Falls Trail; however, it had snowed that morning and the day before. We couldn’t distinguish the cairns from the landscape. As the trail goes over the lava flow, it is uneven ground and not easy to follow.
After enjoying the snow and small pines, we turned around and headed back to the trailhead.
La Ventana Natural Arch
La Ventana is the second largest arch in New Mexico. The Zuni Sandstone arch is 125 feet high and 165 feet across at the base. La Ventana means “the window” in Spanish.
It has a universally accessible 0.25-mile hike to view the arch from below. There are two picnic shelters along the path.
Because it was winter when we visited, several features were closed. I’d love to visit again and explore more of the monument.
It was crazy weather that day, but nothing stops us to see the sights. Driving down the road (covered with snow and clearly untouched that morning) to the Lava Falls Trail was a challenge. Of course it was beautiful! Would we do it again? Probably not. Too remote and no cell connection to call for help.
La Ventana on the other hand, was so worth it. The snow against the arch was just beautiful. Crisp air compared to the desert weather we had been experiencing was a welcome change as well. A must see!