Must-see monument · Cibola, New Mexico
El Malpais National Monument
El Malpais National Monument is a monument in Cibola, New Mexico.
El Malpais National Monument: crowds and conditions
Typical pattern: heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.
Status options for this monument: Open, good conditions · Very crowded · Approach road bad · Closed / not accessible.
Best time to visit El Malpais National Monument
Season: November to March for sightings; sanctuaries may close in peak monsoon.
Busiest days: Weekends, public holidays, Sankranti and Dasara breaks.
Crowd: Heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning.
Typical week: Mon busy · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri busy · Sat packed · Sun packed.
How to reach El Malpais National Monument — distance from nearby cities
Coordinates: 34.86267, -107.97783. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.
Places to visit near El Malpais National Monument
- Bandera Volcano Ice Cave · cave · Cibola · ~22 km · Must-see
- Mount Sedgwick · viewpoint · Cibola · ~45 km · Must-see
- El Morro National Monument · sanctuary · Cibola · ~49 km · Must-see
- Lightning Field · attraction · Catron · ~51 km · Must-see
- Mount Taylor · viewpoint · Cibola · ~67 km · Must-see
- Haystack Mountain · viewpoint · McKinley · ~69 km · Must-see
- El Malpais National Conservation Area · sanctuary · Cibola · ~2 km
- Cerro Encierro · viewpoint · Cibola · ~9 km
- Mesita Blanca · viewpoint · Cibola · ~12 km
- Encerrito · viewpoint · Cibola · ~12 km
- Xenolith Cave · cave · Cibola · ~14 km
- lava caves (no entry) · cave · Cibola · ~15 km
- Junction Cave (no entry) · cave · Cibola · ~15 km
- Lava Caves (entry forbidden) · cave · Cibola · ~15 km
- North Pelon · viewpoint · Cibola · ~15 km
- Ice Cave · cave · Cibola · ~16 km
- Lava Bomb Cave · cave · Cibola · ~17 km
- Lava Falls Area · waterfall · Cibola · ~17 km
See everything within a day’s drive of El Malpais National Monument
Other wildlife, forests & gardens near El Malpais National Monument
- El Morro National Monument · sanctuary · Cibola · ~49 km · Must-see
- Cibola National Forest · sanctuary · Socorro · ~112 km · Must-see
- Cabezon Peak · sanctuary · Sandoval · ~143 km · Must-see
- Petroglyph National Monument · sanctuary · Bernalillo · ~148 km · Must-see
- El Malpais National Conservation Area · sanctuary · Cibola · ~2 km
- Cebolla Wilderness · sanctuary · Cibola · ~20 km
- Chain of Craters Wilderness Study Area · sanctuary · Cibola · ~29 km
- Pueblo of Laguna Historical Marker · sanctuary · Cibola · ~72 km
- Continental Divide Historical Marker · sanctuary · McKinley · ~87 km
- Red Rock State Park · sanctuary · McKinley · ~119 km
Wikipedia · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · © GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0)
Frequently asked
What is the best time to visit El Malpais National Monument?
November to March for sightings; sanctuaries may close in peak monsoon. Heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning.
What are the places to visit near El Malpais National Monument?
Nearby: Bandera Volcano Ice Cave (cave, 22 km), Mount Sedgwick (viewpoint, 45 km), El Morro National Monument (sanctuary, 49 km), Lightning Field (attraction, 51 km), Mount Taylor (viewpoint, 67 km), Haystack Mountain (viewpoint, 69 km).
Is El Malpais National Monument worth visiting?
El Malpais National Monument is listed as a must-see monument in New Mexico on Spotwander.