El Malpais National Monument: The badlands are beautiful I am standing at the top of the sandstone bluffs in El Malpais National Monument. The word
means badlands in Spanish, but as I stand in the total silence surrounded by mesas and volcanic
fields and look to the dormant volcano mountains in the distance and I can't help but think it
should be called beautiful lands.
The peace is almost total. As I walk through the area my only companions are the tiny birds and
the inquisitive fly. Yet there is something exciting and amazing around every bend in this
surprisingly easy to visit site.
Coming in on route NM 117 along the eastern portion of the over 114,000 acres preserved I
stopped at the ranger station to pick up some literature, maps, and helpful information. Heading
out the first place to visit is the magnificent Sandstone Bluffs. A gravel road leads to the bluffs
from the paved road. These 200-million year-old walls of stone were formed by ancient seas,
from a time when the lands of New Mexico were under water. At the top the view stretches for
miles in all directions. At the base are ancient lava flows.
A little further down the road is La Ventana Natural Arch. Once again, paved roads have made it easy to see and enjoy this huge natural formation caused by erosion and fracturing of the sandstone. La Ventana dates back to the time of the dinosaurs and as I picked my way to the fence which surrounds the arch I almost expected to see something prehistoric scamper through the sunbaked, sere grass. Going through the area known as The Narrows the cliffs rise up like a fortress, yet around the bend, the cracks and fissures formed by the water have calved off chunks that lay on the ground or propped up as if leaning for support. The other side of the road opens onto the remains of ancient lava, now supporting small trees and bushes. Park at the south end of the Narrows in the picnic area and you can take a hiking trail along the rim of the mesa.
If You Go Other roads through the El Malpais National Monument make for easy access to much of the perimeter. NM53 follows the northern boundary of the monument and will also take visitors to El Morro National Monument. You can also pick up County Road 42, known as the Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway, from either MN 117 or NM53. This follows along the western part of El Malpais but it is a dirt road and you may want to make sure you're driving a four-wheel drive vehicle with high clearance. El Malpais is located about 2 from Albuquerque. Nearest place for lodging is Grants, New Mexico with several motel chains. For more information on lodging, restaurants and attractions in Grants visit Grants, NM. Food and lodging (and entertainment) are also available at the Sky City Casino Hotel at nearby Acoma. For more information visit SkyCity The nearest airport is the Albuquerque Sunport where you can also rent a car. Note: A national monument is protected area of the United States that is similar to a national park except that the President can quickly declare an area a national monument without congressional approval. However, that status affords less protection than designation as a National Park. © 2007
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Despite spending hours at El Malpais I had covered only a tiny portion of the magnificent
landscape. The almost eight mile Zuni-Acoma Trail is the remnants of a trade route which once
joined the two pueblos. There are trails leading through the lava field, and past ancient
settlements, huge caverns and lava tube caves formed by these ancient flows, some with caves of
ice. There is even a portion of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail the geological fold
in the surface of the earth that marks the point at which water flows either towards the east or the
west. The privately owned Ice Cave at the Bandera Volcano with trails cut into the sides for
easier access. All these and more await my next visit.