Lava Falls Trail Stop #8

Not all wilderness areas require rushing rivers or deep canyons.

Quick Facts

Location:

34° 44’ 9.5”; -107° 58’ 45.3”

Significance:

Stop 8 of 9

Wilderness: A Tricky Value to Define

Most of El Malpais National Monument, including this trail, is managed as wilderness. Managing wilderness is a balance between maintaining an untrammeled and undeveloped area in a way that prevents future damage while also promoting solitude and safety for people that enter it.  

Sometimes that means using pieces of the landscape to mark where travelers are to go. Cairns--the rock piles you have been following--are often used in wilderness areas to direct and guide visitors without disturbing the views of a natural landscape.  

However, there is no clear definition for "wilderness." Some may view wilderness as serene--or scary--places with massive mountains, raging rivers, or winding canyons.  How would you define wilderness?