We welcome educational visits for students of all ages at Capulin Volcano. Please contact the Monument (505-278-2201 ext. 231 or cavo_administration@nps.gov) at least one month before a visit. Educational visits may qualify for a waiver of entrance fees. Applications for fee waivers must be submitted in writing. The application can be requested by phone or email (listed above) or by writing Superintendent, Capulin Volcano National Monument, P.O. Box 40, Capulin, New Mexico 88414.

The following services are available:

Teaching Materials
A teacher's guide designed for use by Grades 4-6 contains lesson plans that are based on earth science curriculum, with an emphasis on volcanism. There are pre-site, on-site, and post-site activities that can be utilized at Capulin Volcano as well as in the classroom.
The teacher's guide can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word document

PreVisit Info PreSite Activities OnSite Activities PostSite Activities Answer Sheets

or as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file from this website.

PreVisit Info PreSite Activities OnSite Activities PostSite Activities Answer Sheets

Both formats of the Teacher's Guide are divided into 5 sections for quicker downloads.
If you would like a hard copy mailed to you, please contact us at the park.


Ranger-Guided Activities
All K-12 educational groups are required to attend a 15-minute orientation talk by a ranger at the Visitor Center upon arrival to the monument. This program promotes the safety and well being of your students and the monument's natural resources. The talk will include safety information, proper park visit etiquette, and a brief introduction to the volcano and the history of Capulin Volcano National Monument. Rangers may be available for guided activities or walks for school groups of less than 30 students. Please contact the Monument for specific program requests.

University groups are encouraged to request a 15 minute ranger program to provide a basic orientation to the monument.
All educational groups should contact the monument as early as possible before their visit to ensure availability of a ranger for the orientation talk or other programs.

Pre-Visit Materials
Park brochures and literature may be requested prior to your visit. The park's ten-minute VHS orientation video, Capulin Volcano may be loaned out to groups for a two-week period prior to a park visit. It includes information on the history and eruption of Capulin Volcano and footage from the eruption of Paricutin, a similar cinder cone to Capulin Volcano, which erupted in Mexico between 1943 and 1952. The video may be viewed at the park as part of your visit.


Self-Guided Activities

The Junior Ranger program:
Junior Ranger program materials may also be sent out in advance to groups
planning to participate in that program or downloaded from this website. The Junior Ranger program is a self-guided activity book for children six - twelve years old. It takes most children two to three hours to complete the activity book. Upon completion, Junior Rangers receive both a certificate and a badge.

The Lady Bug Hunt:
The Lady Bug Hunt is a self-guided activity for children less than six years old. It is a checklist of park features that children can look for during their park visit. Upon completion, the children receive a lady bug button and a certificate.