Carrizozo Malpais, Volcanic site in Tularosa Basin, New Mexico, US

Carrizozo Malpais is a 68 km lava flow on the west side of Carrizozo, New Mexico, in the northern Tularosa Basin between Sierra Blanca and the Oscura Mountains. It is made of pāhoehoe lava from Little Black Peak, 16 km north-northwest. The surface is broken into rough, blocky charcoal-black slabs with deep cracks, lighter grey and tan dust in the low spots, and sparse pale-green and dry grey bushes growing from the gaps.

The Carrizozo lava flow erupted from Little Black Peak about 5,200 ± 700 years ago, according to cosmogenic dating that replaced earlier estimates of 1,000 to 1,500 years. The eruption is thought to have lasted roughly three decades, and the flow's 68 km length reflects that long duration rather than a fast eruption rate. The older Broken Back flow, from vents about 10 km northwest of Little Black Peak, is roughly 100,000 years old and partly overlapped by the younger lava.

The Carrizozo Woman's Club worked to protect the malpaís, which became the Valley of Fires Recreation Area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The site lies about 3 miles west of Carrizozo on U.S. Route 380, where overlooks let drivers see the flow. The name malpaís is Spanish for badlands, used across the Southwest for rough lava country.

The site is accessible through a designated recreation area with marked trails and observation points for exploring the lava fields. Wear sturdy footwear and be prepared for uneven, sharp-edged surfaces that make walking across the rock demanding and require careful footing.

The Carrizozo flow is pāhoehoe lava that spread through lava tubes, and the eruptions are estimated to have lasted about three decades. That long eruptive duration, rather than a high eruption rate, explains the flow's 68-kilometre extent. The flow is one of the largest in the world, covering 328 square kilometres with a volume of 4.2 cubic kilometres.