Nope. It is definitely not a waste of time. El Malpais was totally worth the half day we spent there in September of 2025 despite what I’m calling The Hoka Debacle.
Where is El Malpais?
El Malpais National Monument is located in Cibola County, New Mexico about 80 miles (129 km) west of Albuquerque and 160 miles (257 km) east of Holbrook, Arizona.
If you’re planning a national parks road trip along Route 66, El Malpais is a must stop between Petroglyph National Monument (New Mexico) and Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona).
I Thought This Was a National “Monument”
It is, but it’s also a national conservation area. El Malpais is co-managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Why? It’s a huge area.
I discovered this buried fact about El Malpais after I got back home to Tennessee. It was a painful discovery. How did I miss this?
El Malpais is designated as a national monument in part to protect what the National Park Service calls a “lava-influenced cultural landscape“. That landscape includes a Chacoan great house called Las Ventanas Pueblo. You may ask, “What are Chacoan great houses?” Only the most astounding ancient architectural wonders in North America! If you’ve read my article The Best Ruins in New Mexico- Chaco Canyon, you’ll understand.
I can’t believe I missed a Chacoan great house in El Malpais, but the National Park Service doesn’t feature it on the El Malpais website, and I didn’t see it on the NPS map. You probably need a secret handshake to find out the location.
What Else to Know BEFORE You Go
- Admission to El Malpais National Monument/Conservation Area is FREE.
- Elevation ranges from 6,400-8,400 feet.
- Best time to visit is spring or fall. Summer is HOT making hiking across lava really HOT. Summer is also monsoon season which means strong pop-up thunderstorms are common. Winter temps may drop below freezing. Pick your pleasure.
- El Malpais is a harsh environment. “El Malpais” means “badlands” in Spanish if that tells you anything.
- Bring your own water. Visitor Centers are the only places you can get drinking water at El Malpais.
- Wear proper footwear. Trust me. More on this later.
- Have sun protection. You need sunscreen and a hat. The sun can be brutal.
What Can You Do in a Half Day at El Malpais?
Stop by a Visitor Center.
You should begin every visit to a national park/monument with a stop at the Visitor Center to get a map, advice from park rangers, Junior Ranger books, Passport stamps, and souvenirs. If you are unfamiliar with the Junior Ranger program, you can find out all about it in my post Junior Rangers Never Get Old.
El Malpais has two Visitor Centers. We went to the visitor center at Exit 85 off of I-40. What a nice facility! The park rangers were extremely knowledgeable, restrooms were very clean, the gift shop/bookstore had an excellent selection, and a water bottle filling station was available. I highly recommend checking out the exhibits about the volcanic and cultural history of El Malpais. Very interesting!
Take a couple of short hikes.
There are several short hikes at El Malpais. Lava Falls Trail is one of the most popular. Ask a park ranger for suggestions and keep your abilities in mind.
If you want to hike at El Malpais, the most important thing you need to know (besides carry plenty of water) is WEAR STURDY HIKING SHOES WITH RUGGED SOLES. Don’t make the mistake my husband did.
The Hoka Debacle
We read the shoe warnings before we visited, so I wore my old faithful heavy Keens. My husband wore his trusty Hokas.
Our plan was to hike the Lava Falls Trail (because it’s short) and part of the Zuni-Acoma Trail (because of its cultural significance). All would have gone well if my husband had worn the right Hokas. His Hokas are trail runners, because that’s the only style that fits him properly. We found out within a few minutes that trail runners don’t cut it on the lava trails at El Malpais. The lava trails cut the trail runners.
Minutes after starting our first hike on the Lava Falls Trail, half of one of the soles tore away from my husband’s shoe. He had a flapper for the rest of the day which seriously got on my nerves. Flap, flap, flap– everywhere we went. (And he had a second pair of older Hokas in the car that he could have put on when we left El Malpais but didn’t. I won’t get started on that. 🙄)
My husband immediately contacted Hoka about his torn shoe, and the company promptly shipped a new pair at no cost. Hoka is a great company.
I was disappointed, because Lava Falls Trail allegedly has a spur that leads to a cool amphitheater of lava. I wouldn’t know since I didn’t get to see it. If you have good shoes, go see it and let me know if it’s as cool as they claim.
Because of The Hoka Debacle, we didn’t attempt any other lava trails. Seeing this sign at the Zuni-Acoma Trail wasn’t encouraging either. Yikes! I’m sure you’ll be fine if you decide to hike it. There can’t be that many bombs out there.
Read more about the trails at El Malpais on the National Park Service’s website. If I ever get a chance to return to El Malpais, I’ll be in the Big Tubes! After reading my post, Fall in Love with Volcanoes- Exploring 10 Kick-Ash Trails, you should know how much I love lava.
Even though we didn’t get to do the hikes we planned, we still saw two of the best features of El Malpais- La Ventana Arch and Sandstone Bluffs.
See La Ventana Arch.
Don’t miss this stop along El Malpais Road (Hwy 117). La Ventana Arch is one of the largest sandstone arches in New Mexico. We’ve been to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah and seen some outstanding arches, so we weren’t expecting La Ventana to be all that impressive. We were wrong.
La Ventana Arch was our first and favorite stop in El Malpais. You can see the arch from the parking area, but you’ve got to get closer to truly sense its awesome scale.
I would not call the walk to La Ventana Arch a “hike”. The trail from the parking area to the arch is only .25 mile (.4 km). The first part of the trail is paved and then turns to gravel. I’m always happy to find trails that lead everyone to spectacular views, and the trail to La Ventana Arch is wheelchair friendly.
Early morning is one of the best times to see the arch (just before sunset being the other). We got there about 8:00 AM, and the light was spot-on for photos.
La Ventana Arch was the perfect start to our day in El Malpais!
View the McCarty Lava Field from Sandstone Bluffs.
Make sure you stop at the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook as you take the scenic drive through El Malpais. There is an accessible viewing area where you can look out over the vast black McCarty lava field and the imposing mountains beyond.
McCarty Lava Field is estimated to have formed 3,000 years ago and is one of the youngest lava fields in the contiguous United States. Definitely worth seeing from above.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can walk around on top of the bluffs. Keep in mind, there is no established trail. Just find a spot to climb up and you’re on your own from there. Watch your footing and don’t get too close to the edge! No selfie is worth a fall.
Climbing to the top of the bluffs was a highlight of our El Malpais visit.
We heard Sandstone Bluffs is an amazing spot to watch the sunset, so stick around for it if you have time.
Would I Go Back to El Malpais?
Absolutely! There was so much more I’d like to explore. If I do return, I’ll spend a full day hiking, wind down with a sunset on top of Sandstone Bluffs, and end with an evening of (freaking out in the pitch black with nothing but my red flashlight) stargazing. El Malpais is a Dark Sky Park on its way to being designated an International Dark Sky Park. That means it’s one of the best places in the world to view the stars.
My husband agreed the half day we spent at El Malpais was totally worth it, but said this monument was a one-and-done for him. I think the shoe situation may have colored his opinion. 😉
Now, It’s Your Turn!
If you’re taking a trip on the Mother Road or looking for a day trip close to Albuquerque, drop a pin on El Malpais. You won’t be wasting your time!
If you’ve visited El Malpais National Monument, contact me and let me know what you thought about it.