El Malpais National Monument Trails

El Malpais offers everything from easy drives, scenic overlooks, and short walks to strenuous trails, caving, and rugged backcountry. For those trails in the lava fields, many routes are marked with cairns as no path is clearly worn due to the nature of the lava. Outside of the lava fields trails are more clearly delineated.
  • ➠ More Info and Photos on El Malpais National Monument
  • Trail Name Difficulty Distance Elev. Gain
    1. Big Tubes Trail Moderate 1.7 mi / 2.9 km 75 ft
    2. El Calderon Loop Trail Easy 3.2 mi / 5.1 km 200 ft
    3. Zuni - Acoma Trail Hard 15.6 mi / 25.2 km 285 ft
    4. Sandstone Bluffs Trail Moderate 5.2 mi / 8.4 km 320 ft
    5. La Ventana Trail Easy 0.4 mi / 0.6 km 25 ft
    6. Narrows Rim Trail Moderate 6.4 mi / 11.8 km 485 ft
    7. Lava Falls Trail Easy 1.0 mi / 1.5 km 25 ft
    Cuba Trails
    El Malpais Trails Map and Info (PDF 1.9 MB)