El Malpais National Monument
National Monument · NM
Park Closure · El Calderon Trail closed for construction through November 2026
The El Calderon Trail and parking area are closed from August 2025 through November 2026 for a major improvement project. NPS Road 100 will remain open for local traffic only, and the Continental Divide Trail will remain open for CDT thru-hikers.
More informationCaution · NPS 300 Road Conditions
NPS 300 to Big Tubes is wet from ongoing rain. A high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle is required to attempt this road. The road past Big Tubes is very rough and only accessible to high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles.
More information
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!
- NPS site
- nps.gov/elma
- Location
- El Malpais National Monument (34.884, -107.995)
Track your visit to El Malpais National Monument
NP Tracker keeps a record of every National Park Service unit you visit — all 430-plus of them. Log visits with dates and photos, collect passport stamps, plan trips, and watch your map fill in. It's free.
Passport stamp locations
- El Malpais National Monument Visitor Center
- El Malpais Visitor Center
Hours
El Malpais National Monumenttoday: All Day
- Sat Oct 3All Day
- Sun Oct 4All Day
- Mon Oct 5All Day
- Tue Oct 6All Day
- Wed Oct 7All Day
- Thu Oct 8All Day
- Fri Oct 9All Day
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.
Hours are retrieved from the National Park Service and can change without notice — check the official site before you go.
Visitor centers
1
- El Malpais Visitor Centertoday: 9:00AM - 5:00PMDirections
Self-guided tours
2
El Calderon Self Guided Hike2–4 hours · 7 stops
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.
Lava Falls Self Guided Hike30–90 minutes · 9 stops
Explore a one-mile loop on the youngest lava flow in the region with nine interpretive stops along the way.
Entrance fees
No entrance fee.