• Sweeping panoramic views of lava flows, cinder cones, and distant mountains can be enjoyed at Sandstone Bluffs.

    El Malpais

    National Monument New Mexico

There are park alerts in effect.
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  • All caves in El Malpais National Monument are closed to recreational use.

    This closure is due to a combination of factors including the outbreak of a fungal disease that is killing millions of bats. Read more at our Nature and Science page. More »

For Teachers

A park ranger prepares to educate students about bats

A park ranger prepares to educate students about bats at El Malpais.

NPS

The powers of nature on display

Learn about volcanism by having students watch a movie at the visitor center. Hike with students to the rim of El Calderon volcano. El Malpais has much to teach about volcanism, the flora and fauna that live in these extreme environments, and how humans relate to such a place.

Download the "Malpais Mysteries" curriculum guide and the activity sheets to explore the volcanic legacy of El Malpais in the classroom.

 

NOTICE: Ranger-guided caves tours are suspended due to the recreational cave closure. Click here to read the news release about the cave closure.

Did You Know?

Vivid pink flowers blossom on a spiny Cane Cholla cactus.

The cane cholla cactus thrives in the lower elevation regions of El Malpais. This hardy and tough looking plant produces many vibrantly colored flowers in the late spring. More...