Visitors begin their tour walking through lava trails lined with old growth juniper and fir trees. The trails lead into a dormant volcano that you can walk down into.
Bandera last exploded 10,000 years ago, a number that seems distant to us but is fairly recent in geological time. It's one of the finest and most accessible examples of an eruption and lava field in North America.
The trail down is about a half a mile long and takes forty minutes to complete going both down and back up. From the vantage point visitors hike down to they can imagine the impact of an immense explosion like this one.
In one of the lava tubes remaining from a volcanic eruption, natural ice caves have formed. While exploring inside you'll notice sunlight reflects off the ancient algae in the cave, the water and ice appears blue and green.
The Bandera Volcano and ice cave is an unmatched geological experience here in the United States. Here you can experience both extremes of the planet’s ancient history in one spot.
Address: Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano, 12000 Ice Caves Rd, Grants, NM 87020, USA
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