Volcanoes, lava fields, tubes, and ash? I never thought I’d be interested in any of those things until I visited Yellowstone National Park and Bandelier National Monument. After those trips, I fell in love with volcanoes and had a burning desire to see more- and I have. Here are 10 kick-ash volcanic trails I’ve been wowed by over the years. I hope you have the chance to visit at least one!

Table of Contents

1. Pueblo Loop Trail- Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

Fifty minutes west of Santa Fe, New Mexico, tucked away in the Jemez Mountains, Bandelier National Monument is one of the most intriguing monuments I’ve ever visited. It is best known for its cliff-dwellings created by the Ancestral Puebloan people approximately 800 years ago.

The cliffs at Bandelier are composed of compacted volcanic ash called tuff. The Ancestral Puebloan people discovered it wasn’t too tough to chisel tuff into cliff-dwellings (apartment-like homes) called cavates. Pueblo Loop Trail gets you up close and personal with these homes and an ancient culture’s way of life.

Pueblo Loop Trail is an easy-moderate 1.4-mile (1.25 km) trail that leads you to a great kiva, petroglyphs, and, of course, the cavates. Climbing the ladders to explore the interiors of the dwellings is encouraged but you must watch your step. (If you are afraid of heights, you may want to skip the ladders.)

Before you start the Pueblo Loop Trail, I recommend purchasing the inexpensive trail guide sold in the visitor center. Without it, you may miss some of the monument’s most fascinating features.

For more information about Bandelier National Monument, visit the monument’s website.

2. Skull Cave- Lava Beds National Monument, California

Lava Beds National Monument is a lesser-known monument on the California/Oregon border. The star of Lava Beds is as the name suggests, the lava. Created from repeated eruptions of nearby Medicine Lake volcano, these lava fields are impressive! But what’s even more impressive at Lava Beds National Monument are the lava tube caves.

Lava Beds has more lava tube caves than anywhere else in the United States. Best of all, some caves are easy to explore provided you come prepared. We explored two of the most popular- Skull and Mushpot. If you only have time for one trail, I recommend Skull Cave. It was our favorite of the two.

Skull Cave has an easy/moderate .1 mile (.2 km) trail named for the bones and human skeletons discovered inside. Wearing a good pair of shoes is a must. The trail includes a steep section of narrow stairs. The lava walls can be extremely sharp, so avoid rubbing against them. We saw a man scrape his arm and begin to bleed more than I wanted to see. Why he turned down my offer of a bandage, I’ll never understand.

Know your abilities! If you have trouble negotiating steep stairs, this trail is NOT for you! We saw a group of people who should not have attempted this trail. One woman couldn’t make it to the bottom and all four barely made it back to the top. (One being the guy with the bloody arm.) We waited in our car to make sure they were okay. It took a while, but when they finally made it back to their van wheezing and moaning and arguing about who had the Cheetos, we knew they were safe.

Make sure you take a flashlight inside the cave. There is no electric lighting. Some natural light comes through the large opening, but I wouldn’t do this hike without a flashlight.

For more information about visiting Lava Beds National Monument, visit the monument’s website.

3. Subway Cave- Lassen National Forest, California

Subway Cave is located in Lassen National Forest in Old Station, California about 30 minutes southwest of Burney (home of the famous Burney Falls) and 45 minutes from the Lassen Volcanic National Park north entrance. Formed approximately 20,000 years ago by flowing lava from nearby volcanoes, Subway Cave is a can’t miss stop in Lassen National Forest.

The easy .3-mile (.6 km) trail through Subway Cave has no light. You will be walking in complete darkness moments after entering the cave. It is imperative you have at least two fully charged flashlights. There’s no way you’ll make it through the cave safely without a flashlight unless the cave is crowded and everyone else has one. Be smart. I always keep a flashlight and headlamp in my backpack.

You’ll be walking on rough lava, so wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots. Although many visitors walk the trail in a few minutes, we took our time noticing the details and taking lots of photos. You’ll exit the cave at the opposite end where an above-ground trail leads back to the parking lot.

For more information about Subway Cave, visit the National Forest Service website.

4. Cinder Cone Trail- Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Lassen Volcanic National Park located approximately 130 miles (209 km) north of Sacramento, California is one of the lesser-visited national parks but I’m not sure why. After our trip in 2023, Lassen Volcanic became number four in my top five list of favorites. I’ll be posting in the future about my time in Lassen, but for now I’ll just cover Cinder Cone Trail, one of the park’s many highlights.

You’ll find Cinder Cone Trail in the remote Butte Lake area located in the northeast corner of the park. This easy-moderate 4-mile (6.4 km) out-and-back trail (not including the hike to the top of the cinder cone) features beautiful views of Butte Lake, the ominous volcano, and the famous Painted Dunes. Much like a long beach walk in deep sand, this trail will give your legs a workout! I was exhausted by the time we got back to the car.

Getting to the top of the cinder cone requires an additional 200-foot very strenuous climb. We decided the view from the base was good enough for us, so we continued on to the lookout over the Painted Dunes. The dunes were beautiful in the late afternoon light and definitely something you should see. From the lookout, we returned the way we came and had a lovely private picnic at Butte Lake.

For more information about Lassen Volcanic National Park, visit the National Park Service website.

5. Lava Flow Trail- Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is located approximately 21 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona off of scenic Highway 89. I was far more impressed with this monument than I ever expected to be.

If you’re making a short stop at Sunset Crater National Monument on the way to/from some other exciting place, I recommend taking about an hour (or less) to visit Sunset Crater and explore the Bonito lava flow via the Lava Flow Trail. This easy 1-mile (1.6 km) loop meanders through walls of lava formed over 1,000 years ago during Sunset Crater’s first and only eruption. Get out your camera! Great views of majestic Sunset Crater abound.

For more information about Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, visit the National Park Service website.

6. Canyon Trail- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico

Until just a few years ago, I’d never heard of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, but once I stumbled across some photos online, I had to see it for myself. And take my word. This monument is mind-blowing. A bucket list site for sure!

Because Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is co-managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Cochiti Pueblo, there are some special entry requirements. Know before you go!

Located on the Cochiti Pueblo reservation about an hour from Santa Fe (1.5 hours from Albuquerque), Kasha-Katuwe is a forest of hoodoos created by a volcanic eruption over 6 million years ago. Canyon Trail is a moderate 1.5 mile (2.4 km) out-and-back and by far one of the best short trails I’ve ever hiked.

Winding through these towers of rock feels like you’re in the middle of a movie set. There is some light scrambling involved in a few sections, but nothing too challenging. Make the steep climb to the top of the plateau for unbelievable bird’s eye views of the rocks and the mountains beyond. If you’re afraid of heights, you may want to skip this part and return to the trailhead. Walking amidst the hoodoos is the best part anyway.

For a shorter, partially wheelchair accessible trail that still gets you up close to the rock formations, consider taking the 1.2 mile (2 km) Canyon Loop.

For more information about Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, visit the Bureau of Land Management’s website.

7. Malpais Nature Trail- Valley of Fires National Recreation Area, New Mexico

Valley of Fires National Recreation Area is in the Tularosa Basin of northeast New Mexico. It is the site of one of the longest lava flows in the United States. We had no idea it even existed, but when I saw a Bureau of Land Management sign on New Mexico’s Hwy 380, I figured Valley of Fires might be worth a short look, so we stopped.

Why were we on Hwy 380? We were on our way to the Smokey Bear Museum and White Sands National Park, both of which I’ll feature in future posts.

Valley of Fires was the first lava field I’d ever seen and I was astonished. We learned this sea of jagged, charred rock measures up to 60 feet thick and has a spread of 125 square miles (324 sq. km)! I knew right then I’d be diving into all things volcanic as soon as I got home.

You can explore Valley of Fires by way of the Malpais Nature Trail. This easy 1-mile (1.6 km) paved trail winds through the remnants of Little Black Peak’s eruption that occurred approximately 5,000 years ago.

If you’re into camping, check out this campground while you’re there. If I was a camper, I’d definitely pitch my tent here. Such a cool spot!

For more information about Valley of Fires National Recreation Area, visit the Bureau of Land Management website.

8. Pinnacles Overlook Trail- Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Crater Lake National Park is one of the National Park Service’s crown jewels. The lake itself is a giant volcano, its color and depth mesmerizing and a memory you’ll never forget. If you only have a few hours to spend, definitely spend them on the lake’s rim trails. I’d skip everything else. But if you have a full day to spend in the park, you might want to make time for the Pinnacles Trail, an easy .8 mile (1.3 km) out-and-back hike to the pinnacles. I don’t think this trail gets enough props.

I’ve already mentioned my love of hoodoos, so that’s why I made Pinnacles Trail a priority. The path cuts through the forest to a nice viewpoint of the sharply pointed pumice hoodoos (also called fossil fumaroles) clinging to the ridge. Fossil fumaroles are formations created by hot gas shooting through the volcanic rock and then eroding over time. Hard to wrap your head around, isn’t it?

Tucked along the trail, you’ll find the original Crater Lake National Park sign that marked the park’s historic boundaries. I thought that was pretty neat.

For more information about Crater Lake National Park, visit the National Park Service website.

9. Sandstone Bluffs Overlook Trail- El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico

Located 72 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, El Malpais National Monument is remote but so worth the time getting there. The stark contrast of lava fields, massive rock formations and forest makes this monument a must stop if traveling Interstate 40. Stop at the visitor center for a map and advice from a ranger about which trails are best for you. We chose to stay off the lava field trails and spend our time on Sandstone Bluffs overlooking the magnificent flow.

Why did we stay off the lava field trails? You’ll have to read my post El Malpais- Is This National Monument a Waste of Time? to find out.

If you aren’t afraid of heights, walk to the top of Sandstone Bluffs for incredible views of the lava field below and Mt. Taylor volcano in the distance. Have your camera ready! The gold glow of the bluffs juxtaposed with the dark lava makes for some fantastic shots. You’re free to walk to around the bluffs but keep your bearings and don’t get too close to the edge.

Avoid climbing the bluffs if there is lightning in the area. You never want to be the tallest thing in a landscape when lightning threatens to strike. Keep a watch on the weather. Storms can pop up unexpectedly. We learned this at El Morro National Monument later that day.

10. Mud Volcano Trail- Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

I can’t write about volcanoes and not mention Yellowstone National Park. The whole park is the caldera of a volcano after all. Yellowstone is renowned for its amazing trails, but let me warn you, Mud Volcano Trail really stinks. Like when you’ve eaten Mexican food on top of Thai food on top of boiled eggs- if you get my drift. Why is it so stanky? The same reason farts stink. Sulfur. There’s a whole science behind it that I won’t get into here. Despite Mud Volcano’s assault on your olfactory receptors, the reward for taking this easy .8-mile (1.2 km) hike is worth braving the stench. I promise.

I’ll never forget watching a young boy in the Mud Volcano parking lot holding his nose and pleading with his mother to leave. He said, “Mom, this stinks bad!” Later I saw him on the trail. He’d become so amazed by the bubbling mud and fumaroles he’d forgotten all about the smell.

For more information about Yellowstone National Park, visit the National Park Service website.

Kick-Ash, Right?

I loved every one of these trails and can’t wait to add more to my list. What do you think? Hopefully, I’ve sparked your interest in volcanoes and inspired you to see some of these fascinating fiery wonders for yourself. Let volcanoes blow your mind!

If you have any kick-ash trails you recommend, let me know! I’m always looking for new adventures.