El Morro National Monument
At A Glance
Operating Hours & Seasons
Spring Hours:
March through May
Visitor Center—9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Trails—9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Please plan on being here by 5:00 p.m. at the latest to walk the 1/2-mile Inscription Loop Trail; 4:00 p.m. to walk the entire 2-mile Mesa-top Loop Trail.
Summer Hours:
June through September
Visitor Center—8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Trails—8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Please plan on being here by 6:00 p.m. at the latest to walk the 1/2-mile Inscription Loop Trail; 5:00 p.m. to walk the entire 2-mile Mesa-top Loop Trail.
Dates and times for fall and winter hours are to be determined. Please check back here for the most up-to-date information.
Closed December 25 and January 1.
Portions or all of the Mesa Top Loop Trail may be closed during the winter months (December through April) because of ice and snow.
Accessibility
The visitor center, picnic area, and campground are all wheelchair accessible. The Inscription Loop Trail is wheelchair accessible with assistance. A park ranger or volunteer will assist you with finding the best route when you arrive at El Morro
Directions
From Albuquerque, NM, or from the east: take Interstate 40 west to Grants. At exit 81, go south on Highway 53 for 42 miles to El Morro National Monument.
From Flagstaff, AZ, or from the west: take Interstate 40 east to Gallup. At exit 20, go south on Highway 602 for about 31 miles. Turn east (left) onto Highway 53. El Morro is 25 more miles. If you’d like to drive through Zuni from the west, take exit 339 from Interstate 40 in AZ, and go south on Highway 191 for 24 miles. Take Highway 61/53 into Zuni. El Morro is about 36 miles from Zuni.
Caution: Commercial trucks frequent Highway 53. Please exercise caution when turning onto and off of the highway
El Morro 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.
