El Malpais National Monument, Volcanic terrain conservation area in western New Mexico, United States
The landscape contains numerous lava flows, deep caves, ancient sandstone bluffs, and expansive ice caves across 114,276 acres of protected wilderness.
The National Monument, established in 1987, preserves geological formations dating back thousands of years, including five major lava flows and multiple volcanic vents.
Native American tribes from Acoma, Laguna, and Zuni Pueblos maintain traditional connections to this land through ceremonial practices and material gathering.
Visitors require free caving permits to explore Junction Bridge and Giant Ice Cave, while bringing adequate water supplies remains essential due to limited facilities.
The monument contains rare hart's-tongue ferns discovered inside caves, marking the first documented population west of the Mississippi River in North America.
Location: New Mexico
Inception: 1987
Operator: National Park Service
Website: https://nps.gov/elma
GPS coordinates: 34.87722,-108.05083
Latest update: May 27, 2025 10:03
The southwestern United States encompasses desert landscapes, sandstone formations and archaeological sites from several pre-Columbian cultures. The region spans Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, featuring geological structures shaped over millions of years by wind and water erosion. National parks such as Canyonlands and Capitol Reef display canyons, mesas and rock spires in shades of red, orange and ochre. The area preserves evidence of the Ancestral Puebloans, who built cliff dwellings and communal structures between the 12th and 14th centuries. Sites like Bandelier National Monument and Gila Cliff Dwellings provide access to these habitations. Chaco Culture National Historical Park documents a pre-Hispanic trading center with multistory stone complexes. Petroglyphs at locations such as Three Rivers and the petrified trees of Petrified Forest National Park offer additional historical records. The Navajo Nation administers Monument Valley and the Navajo Zoo, while Hubbell Trading Post operates as a functioning 19th-century trading post. Volcanic features mark Sunset Crater and El Malpais, while White Sands covers more than 275 square miles (700 square kilometers) of gypsum dunes. Glen Canyon and the man-made Lake Cochiti provide water access in this largely arid region. Elevation differences range from the Organ Pipe Cactus Desert to Great Basin National Park with its ridges above 13,000 feet (3,900 meters).
New Mexico combines geological formations with historical sites spanning multiple periods. The region includes cave systems such as Carlsbad Caverns, extensive gypsum fields at White Sands, volcanic landscapes at El Malpais National Monument, and unusual rock formations in the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness. The territory also preserves evidence of pre-Columbian and Spanish settlement, including pueblo ruins, cliff dwellings, and seventeenth-century mission complexes. Sites range from ancient petroglyphs at Three Rivers to military installations like Fort Union. Natural attractions include hot springs at Jemez Springs, the volcanic crater of Valles Caldera, and the deep blue waters of Blue Hole. The collection features archaeological monuments such as Chaco Culture and Bandelier, geological curiosities like the hoodoos at Tent Rocks, and historic pueblos including Taos, which has been continuously inhabited for over a thousand years.
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