Hike Past An Ancient Lava Flow On Lava Falls Trail In New Mexico
By Catherine Armstrong|Published April 22, 2019
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Catherine Armstrong
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Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
Thousands of years ago, a huge lava flow forced its way up to the surface when McCartys Crater erupted. The lava covered a vast swath of the landscape, and today that land is part of the El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation Area, which covers more than 350,000 acres. Explore some of this magical place by taking the Lava Falls Trail.
El Malpais National Monument is located west of Albuquerque, in Grants, New Mexico. The place has a rugged beauty that's beyond compare, and it's rich with geologic history.
To reach the Lava Falls Trail, take NM 117 for 36 miles off Interstate 40. Check in at the Visitor Center to make sure that road conditions are safe, then find the parking area at the trailhead.
The trail is a one-mile loop and doesn't have much in the way of elevation change, so it's a moderately easy hike. However, it's important to wear good hiking shoes or boots. The lava is sharp, so you won't want to fall. You'll also need plenty of water.
There's not an easily-identifiable trail across the lava, so you'll follow the cairns that are set up every so often along the way. The park service maintains the cairns and asks that you don't create your own because they could confuse hikers and divert them from the trail.
At just 3,000 years old, this lava field is considered to be fairly young. When McCartys Crater erupted, it spewed lava over a miles-long path, and it settled in various ways, creating different features.
Exploring this landscape is like exploring the surface of another planet. In some places, you can see where the lava flowed to create trenches, ridges, and sinkholes.
Pick up the National Park Service's free trail guide for photos of the different kinds of lava features so you can identify them along the way. This is ropey pahoehoe, which covers much of the area here. It's a smooth lava flow with characteristic ropey textures.
You'll want to pay attention to where you're walking along this trail. There are many fissures and sinkholes in the volcanic rock, and some are quite deep. You could easily be injured if you step into one accidentally.
