National Monument · NPS · NM
El Malpais National Monument
Photo: NPS Kristi Rugg, Sandstone Bluffs Overlook
Alerts and conditions
Caution NPS 300 Road Conditions
NPS 300 to Big Tubes is wet and muddy in spots. A high clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle is required. The road past Big Tubes is very rough and only accessible to high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Park Closure All lava tube caves closed November 1 through April 30
All park lava tube caves are closed for the winter from November 1 through April 30 to protect hibernating bats.
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.
Overview
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!
From the National Park Service
History
The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.
What to see and do
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Auto and ATV
- Scenic Driving
- Astronomy
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Caving
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hiking
- Hunting and Gathering
- Gathering and Foraging
- Junior Ranger Program
- Wildlife Watching
- Park Film
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
Plan your visit
Hours
El Malpais National Monument: 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.
Getting there
No roads exist through El Malpais National Monument. To explore the east side of the park, take exit 89 off I-40 and head south on Highway 117. To explore the north side of the park, take exit 81 off I-40 and head south on Highway 53. To reach the visitor center, take exit 85 off I-40 in Grants, New Mexico. After you exit, head south on Santa Fe Ave and continue straight over the freeway overpass. Take a left at the entrance sign for El Malpais Visitor Center and continue 300 yards to the parking lot.
Visitor centers
Weather
As a general rule, daily temperatures swing roughly 30 (F) from night lows to afternoon highs. Summer is sunny and hot with monsoon rain storms and an average high of 80 (F). Winter is cool, sunny, with potential snow storms and an average high of 45 (F). Spring and fall are generally dry with the occasional storm rain and/or snow storm. For more information on weather and current weather conditions visit https://www.nps.gov/elma/planyourvisit/weather.htm
Phone: 5058762783
Whose lands these are
These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.
Photos
Pair it with
- El Malpais National Conservation Area BLM · 10 miles
- El Morro National Monument NPS · 22 miles
- Cibola National Forest USFS · 47 miles
- Petroglyph National Monument NPS · 73 miles
- Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 75 miles
- Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 78 miles