Lava Falls Trail Stop #1

Start the trail immediately from the parking area.

Quick Facts

Location:

34° 44’ 12.2”; -107° 58’ 34.7”

Significance:

Stop 1 of 9

Hawaiian-Style in the High Desert

You will be hiking on is some of the youngest, if not the youngest, lava in the region from this point on.  The McCartys lava erupted between 1,200 and 3,900 years ago.  When compared to the Cretaceous-era sandstone cliffs you drove past to get here, this is very young rock.  

Like other El Malpais eruptions, the McCartys eruptions were Hawaiian-style. This means the lava flowed across the landscape as a liquid, rather than flew upwards in a large ash column. Hawaiian-style eruptions are named after what volcanologists most observe and monitor in Hawaii.  If an area erupts or shows evidence of erupting in the same way, the eruption style is dubbed “Hawaiian” even if it is not in Hawaii.  

Besides flowing lava, Hawaiian-style eruptions create countless features throughout the landscape it creates. Take a look along the trail to see what other features you can find!