On warm summer evenings, Mexican free-tailed bats burst from a lava tube known as Bat Cave for a night of hunting insects over the lava flows of El Malpais National Monument. Witness this phenomenon for yourself along the El Calderon Trail off Highway 53.
El Calderon Area at El Malpais National Monument offers easy to moderate difficulty hiking past lava tube caves, over ancient lava flows, and around the top of an extinct cinder cone. This trail can be hiked as a 3 mile or 5 mile route.
Take a hike on the youngest lava flow in El Malpais National Monument and in New Mexico. You will encounter numerous unique volcanic features on this one- mile cairned route.
Gaze across one of the youngest lava flows in the continental U.S. from the vantage of a high sandstone bluff created during the time of the dinosaurs. Explore the cliffs for different views, including a glimpse of New Mexico's second highest mountain!
Spectacular panoramic views of the lava flows at El Malpais and surrounding landscape are the main attraction of this hike. You may also encounter ravens and other birds of prey enjoying the thermal uplifts here.
