El Malpais National Monument

One of the striking landscapes we encountered at El Malpais National Monument in western New Mexico was the view of the volcanic cinder cones rising above a sea of lava flows, grasslands, and forests. Created by eruptions thousands of years ago, these cones are part of a vast volcanic field that has shaped the region’s rugged beauty. The name El Malpais, Spanish for “The Badlands,” was given by early Spanish travelers who found the rough and broken lava terrain difficult to cross.

The cinder cones, formed from ash and fragments of volcanic rock thrown into the air during eruptions, stand in sharp contrast to the surrounding juniper and ponderosa pine forests. Some of the lava flows preserved here are only about 3,000 to 4,000 years old, making them relatively young in geologic terms. The volcanic activity also created one of the longest lava tube cave systems in North America, with several caves open to visitors.

For thousands of years, Native peoples, including the ancestors of today’s Pueblo communities, traveled through and lived in this region. Ancient trails, petroglyphs, and archaeological sites testify to a long human presence. In the nineteenth century, pioneers and traders followed portions of the Zuni-Acoma Trail across the lava fields, and remnants of these routes can still be seen today.

Established as a national monument in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan, El Malpais preserves nearly 115,000 acres of extraordinary geological and cultural resources. Together with the neighboring El Morro National Monument, the two parks tell the story of both the powerful forces that shaped the land and the generations of people who depended upon it.   What appears to be a quiet and timeless landscape was once the scene of dramatic volcanic eruptions. Today, it remains one of New Mexico’s most fascinating and least crowded national treasures, offering visitors a glimpse into both the Earth’s ancient past and the enduring history of those who called this landscape home.