Lava Bomb Cave & Hoya de Cibola

You can still see the lava bomb that created the skylight of Lava Bomb Cave.

NPS/Kern

 

Lava Bomb Cave is a small but spectacular cave located deep in the El Malpais wilderness. This shallow cave features a skylight created when a large projectile, or “lava bomb,” launched from a nearby volcanic vent and crashed into a lava tube. You can still see the lava bomb and the skylight it created today. Lava Bomb is adjacent to Hoya de Cibola, a large volcanic vent structure that forms a deep scar on the terrain.

An adventure to Lava Bomb is difficult but rewarding for those prepared with a high clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle, caving equipment, and navigational skills to pathfind through the volcanic wilderness of El Malpais.

A caving permit is required to enter Lava Bomb Cave. A permit is not required to hike around Hoya de Cibola.

 

The route to Lava Bomb Cave passes by interesting basaltic lava features like surface tubes.

NPS Kern

Getting to Lava Bomb & Hoya de Cibola

An adventure to Lava Bomb is difficult but rewarding for those prepared with a high clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle, caving equipment, and navigational skills to pathfind through the volcanic wilderness of El Malpais.

Driving to Lava Bomb - Very Difficult

Reaching Lava Bomb requires over 20 miles of driving down primitive dirt roads. A high clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle is highly recommended, and the road may be impassible when wet. The network of dirt roads is maze-like and poorly marked. Stop by the El Malpais Visitor Center or El Morro Visitor Center for detailed directions on how to reach the Lava Bomb trailhead and to check on current road conditions.

Hiking to Lava Bomb - Moderately Difficult

Lava Bomb is located deep in the El Malpais wilderness. Because this is a wilderness area, there are no trail markers and hiking requires navigational skills. Lava Bomb is adjacent to Hoya de Cibola, a large volcanic vent structure that forms a deep scar on the terrain and provides a convenient marker for navigating in this area. The terrain offers a mix of ponderosa forests and lava features - including surface tubes, 'a'ā flows, the vent of Hoya de Cibola, and columnar basalt within the vent area.

The hike out to Lava Bomb begins along an old mining road covered in loose cinder. As the road nears the edge of Hoya de Cibola, a faint trail veers off to the east. This trail follows the rim of Hoya de Cibola but eventually fades. Simply following along the edge of Hoya de Cibola will eventually lead to a smaller lava trench that strikes off to the west. Lava Bomb Cave is located where the smaller trench meets Hoya de Cibola. Continue along the edge of Hoya de Cibola to complete an enjoyable loop around this fascinating volcanic feature. The old mining road continues to the bottom of Hoya de Cibola where you can still see some of the remains of a cinder mine.

A georeferenced pdf of the Lava Bomb Loop Trail (compatible with apps such as AllTrails and Avenza) is available to assist with navigation in this area. Download this map ahead of time as cell service is not reliable in the El Malpais wilderness.

 

Lava Bomb cave features two large entrances and a skylight shining down on the lava bomb that created it.

NPS Kern

Caving at Lava Bomb - Moderately Difficult

Lava Bomb Cave is one of the easier caves in El Malpais. It is a very short cave with two large entrances and a skylight. There is no need for a headlamp in this cave, but other safety gear, including a helmet, kneepads, and gloves, is highly recommended.

Descending into the cave requires scrambling over moderately large, unstable boulders. Once inside the cave, the cave floor levels out near the lava bomb. A unusually rounded rock sits on the cave floor - this is the lava bomb that created the skylight of the cave. From the top of the cave, you can peer into the cave through the skylight.

 

The volcanic vent of Hoya de Cibola forms a deep scar along the landscape of the El Malpais wilderness. Feel free to hike around and into this feature while visiting Lava Bomb Cave

NPS Kern

Exploring Hoya de Cibola

Lava Bomb Cave sits near the rim of the Hoya de Cibola vent feature, a deep pit that served as a source of lava for much of the 17,000 year old Hoya de Cibola flow. The hike around Hoya de Cibola is roughly two miles long. The old mining road that leads to the parking area for the Lava Bomb trail also leads into Hoya de Cibola. At the bottom, you can see the remnants of an old cinder mine. With some exploring, you can find interesting volcanological features such as columnar basalt.

Hoya de Cibola is a great place to dispersed camp, enjoy the night skies of El Malpais, and experience the solitude that the volcanic wilderness has to offer.