El Malpais National Monument

El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation Area
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Pahoehoe lava flow in El Malpais National Monument
Map showing the location of El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation Area
Map showing the location of El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation Area
Map showing the location of El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation Area
Map showing the location of El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation Area
LocationCibola County, New Mexico, USA
Nearest cityGrants, NM
Coordinates34°52′38″N 108°03′03″W / 34.87722°N 108.05083°W / 34.87722; -108.05083
Area114,276 acres (462.46 km2)[1]
EstablishedDecember 31, 1987 (1987-December-31)
Visitors105,356 (in 2011)[2]
Governing bodyNational Park Service
WebsiteEl Malpais National Monument

El Malpais National Monument is a National Monument located in western New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States.[3] The name El Malpais is from the Spanish term Malpaís, meaning badlands, due to the extremely barren and dramatic volcanic field that covers much of the park's area.

It is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one of the designated New Mexico Scenic Byways.[4] There are many geologic features, including lava tubes and ice caves. There is also abundant wildlife to be encountered year round. Native Americans have used the area for centuries, and it became a National Monument in 1987.

  1. ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-05-13. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
  2. ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference SIGVP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Trail of the Ancients. Archived August 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine New Mexico Tourism Department. Retrieved August 14, 2014.

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