Is El Malpais Worth Visiting?

A frank look at New Mexico's land of frozen fire

By Chris Hayworth, Nestward

Short answer: yes, if you like raw, unmanicured landscapes and don't need a big visitor-center production. El Malpais (say it "el-mal-pie-EES") is a sprawl of young lava flows, cinder cones, lava tubes, and sandstone bluffs in west-central New Mexico. It's quiet, it's strange, and it asks a little more of you than a drive-up park. That trade is the whole question.

The verdict

El Malpais is worth it for the right traveler, and a letdown for the wrong one. There are no roads through the monument and no entrance fee, just two highways that skirt its edges and a handful of trailheads. The reward is solitude and genuinely unusual terrain. The cost is effort: lava is sharp, rough, and hot, trails can be hard to follow, and amenities are thin.

• Go if you love geology, caving, dark skies, or empty trails, and you'd rather earn a view than queue for one.
• Skip it if you want polished overlooks, paved loops, and shade. On a tight Southwest itinerary, this is an easy one to cut.
• It's a detour, not a destination. Most people pair it with Grants, Albuquerque, or a longer New Mexico loop rather than driving here on its own.

What's actually here

The big draws, using the real features the Park Service lists:

• Lava tubes and caving. El Malpais is one of the few places you can legally explore lava tube caves. You'll need a free permit, a helmet, and at least three light sources. This is real caving, not a boardwalk.
• Sandstone Bluffs Overlook. The easiest payoff in the park: a short drive to a cliff edge with a wide view over the black lava sea. Best at sunset. Open sunrise to sunset only.
• La Ventana Natural Arch. One of New Mexico's largest sandstone arches, with a quick walk from the pullout on Highway 117. A genuine crowd-pleaser and very kid-friendly.
• El Calderon Trail. A loop past a cinder cone, lava tubes, and Bat Cave, where Mexican free-tailed bats stream out on warm summer evenings.
• Zuni-Acoma Trail. An ancient footpath across four lava flows, marked by rock cairns. Rugged, exposed, and slow, closer to scrambling than hiking.
• Lava Falls Trail and the Narrows Rim Trail. Two more real hikes: one across raw lava, one along a clifftop above the flows.
• Dark skies. Far from city light, the stargazing is excellent. El Calderon is a popular spot for it.

Is it worth it with kids?

It can be, if you pick your moments. La Ventana Natural Arch and Sandstone Bluffs Overlook are short, dramatic, and don't require much from little legs. The summer bat outflight at Bat Cave is a real highlight. Kids remember a sky full of bats. There's also a Junior Ranger program at the visitor center.

What to avoid with young kids: the long lava-field hikes. Walking on lava is genuinely tough (uneven, jagged, and ankle-grabbing), and the Zuni-Acoma and Lava Falls trails are too much for most families. Bring more water than feels reasonable, sun protection, and shoes you don't mind shredding.

Know before you go

• Plan around the visitor center. It's near Grants (exit 85 off I-40) and open daily 9am–5pm, with winter hours that vary. Grab your cave permit and current conditions here.
• Two sides, two highways. Highway 117 reaches the east side (Sandstone Bluffs, La Ventana, the Narrows). Highway 53 reaches the north side (El Calderon, the lava tubes). They don't connect inside the park.
• Weather swings hard. Days run about 30°F from night to afternoon. Summer highs near 80°F with monsoon storms; winter highs near 45°F with possible snow. Spring and fall are the sweet spot.
• No services in the monument. Fuel up and stock up in Grants. The park is open 24/7, but the land does not coddle you.