El Malpais National Monument
Planning Your Visit
El Malpais Information Center (NPS) The Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center (NPS, BLM, USFS)
El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area encompass over 350,000 acres. Whether you have an hour or a week, this area offers experiences that range from self-guided trails to wilderness exploration. Whatever you choice, come prepared! We recommend that you stop at one of our visitor centers where staff can help plan your visit or call ahead to receive trip planning information.
Located 23 miles southwest of Interstate 40 (exit 81) on NM 53, El Malpais Information Center provides information on the national monument and surrounding area. Exhibits show the different aged lava flows, aerial perspectives and the natural history of the monument. The center is open from 8:30-4:30 daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Call 505-783-4774 and our knowledgeable staff can assist you in planning your visit.
Located in Grants just south of Interstate 40 (exit 85), the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center is the gateway to the public lands and varied sights of Northwest New Mexico.
The center has ample parking for vehicles including oversize RVâs and trucks, and provides restroom and picnic facilities. A trip planning area serves as a source for numerous free maps, brochures, and other publications. A theater provides a venue for enjoying videos about the areaâs attractions, history, and cultures. Finally, an exhibit room presents nine suggested tour routes through the regionâs diverse landscapes, cultures, and seasons.
The center is open seven days a week, with hours of 8 am to 5 pm during Mountain Standard Time (November-February), and 9 am to 6 pm during Mountain Daylight Time (March-November). The Center is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. For further information, contact the center at 505-876-2783 or write to them at 1900 East Santa Fe Avenue; Grants, NM; 87020.
El Malpais Ranger Station (BLM)
Located about nine miles south of Interstate 40 (exit 89), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ranger Station serves as the gateway to the El Malpais National Conservation Area.
BLM staff will help you with suggestions for hiking and other outdoor activities. The building offers spectacular views of Mount Taylor and the surrounding area, and exhibits introduce the history, cultures, flora, fauna, and geology of the area.
The Ranger Station is open from 8:30 to 4:30 Thursday through Monday. It is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday and also on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Yearâs Day. Due to staff shortages the Ranger Station may be closed on other days as well. For more information on El Malpais National Conservation Area, contact the BLM Ranger Station at 505-280-2918 or visit write to them at PO Box 846, Grants NM 87020;www.nm.blm.gov/recreation/albuquerque/el_malpais_nca.htm
Directions
By Plane
Major airlines serve Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is 72 miles east of the monument. Rental vehicles are available in Albuquerque and limited rentals are available in Grants, NM and Gallup, NM.
By Car
El Malpais is located south of Grants, NM. Two major state highways border the monument and conservation area and both are accessed via Interstate 40. Exit 89, east of Grants, will take you along NM 117 which forms the eastern boundary. BLM's El Malpais Ranger Station is located 9 miles south of this exit and is open Friday through Tuesday. Exit 85 at Grants will take you to the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center, a multi-agency facility, located south of exit 85 and is open daily. Exit 81, west of Grants, will take you along NM 53 which forms the northwestern boundary. NPS's El Malpais Information Center is located 23 miles south of this exit. The Information Center is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
By Bus
Greyhound bus lines has limited service to Grants, NM.
Operating Hours, Seasons & FAQs
El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area are always open to visitors except Sandstone Bluffs Overlook. This area closes at dusk.
Depending on the season, access to backcountry areas may be difficult. Many of the dirt roads become impassable after summer rains or winter snowfall. Please contact one of our visitor centers for current road and trail information.
Entry into all other caves requires a permit well in advance of your visit. Contact monument headquarters at (505)285-4641 for more information on obtaining permits.
El Malpais In Depth
News from the Parks
National Parks Escape, This Time Around
January 8, 2009 - 5:17pm
Unlike the last two years, popular recreation areas in Western Washington have escaped serious damage from this week’s heavy rain. Mount Rainier National Park and Gifford Pinchot National Forest were devastated by flooding in 2007. Last year, flooding hit Olympic National Park.
January 8, 2009 - 5:17pm
Unlike the last two years, popular recreation areas in Western Washington have escaped serious damage from this week’s heavy rain. Mount Rainier National Park and Gifford Pinchot National Forest were devastated by flooding in 2007. Last year, flooding hit Olympic National Park.
Dorgan with Game and Fish
January 8, 2009 - 5:06pm
Sen. Byron Dorgan, (D-N.D.) said he agrees with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department on the elk situation at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Since the unveiling of the National Park Service’s Draft Elk Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement on Dec. 17, Game and Fish officials have voiced their displeasure that the document did not include their “Alternative G,” as a viable option.
January 8, 2009 - 5:06pm
Sen. Byron Dorgan, (D-N.D.) said he agrees with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department on the elk situation at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Since the unveiling of the National Park Service’s Draft Elk Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement on Dec. 17, Game and Fish officials have voiced their displeasure that the document did not include their “Alternative G,” as a viable option.
Coming to the Inauguration? Read This First, Then Think Again
January 8, 2009 - 5:05pm
All roads will lead to Washington on Inauguration Day, but many of them will be closed. With packed trains, buses and planes, how will as many as 2 million people who are hoping to witness history crowd into a city whose subway system usually accommodates 718,000 a day?
January 8, 2009 - 5:05pm
All roads will lead to Washington on Inauguration Day, but many of them will be closed. With packed trains, buses and planes, how will as many as 2 million people who are hoping to witness history crowd into a city whose subway system usually accommodates 718,000 a day?
Scientists Ready to Analyze Yellowstone Park Quake Data
January 8, 2009 - 5:01pm
Between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2, more than 500 small earthquakes shook Yellowstone National Park. The swarm of quakes was centered below Yellowstone Lake, beginning southeast of Stevenson Island and migrating north toward Fishing Bridge before quieting.
January 8, 2009 - 5:01pm
Between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2, more than 500 small earthquakes shook Yellowstone National Park. The swarm of quakes was centered below Yellowstone Lake, beginning southeast of Stevenson Island and migrating north toward Fishing Bridge before quieting.
Haleakala National Park Gets New Superintendent
January 8, 2009 - 5:00pm
Sarah Creachbaum, a 15-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been named superintendent of Haleakala National Park.
January 8, 2009 - 5:00pm
Sarah Creachbaum, a 15-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been named superintendent of Haleakala National Park.
