El Malpais National Monument

The El Malpais National Monument is a standing under the administration of the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management National Monument of the United States of America, the part of the Zuni - Bandera volcanic field with extinct volcanoes and in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of New Mexico cooled lava fields protects. The name El Malpais ( German " bad land " ) is aimed at the resulting by rugged lava landscape of the park.

The El Malpais National Monument located south of the New Mexican town of Grants between the Acoma and Zuni Indian reservations and has no central entrance. Access to the attractions of the monument are possible on secondary roads and especially on Highway 117, which was also a ranger station is located. Not far from this is the viewpoint Sandstome Bluffs, of the best views of the vast lava field and allowed on the east side of the monument towards extending Zuni Mountains.

In the further course of the Highway 117 winds along the Narrows ( road narrowing) about an approximately 150 meter high sandstone cliff, whose steep slopes had almost reached the lava. Immediately before the Narrows is the so-called La Ventana Natural Arch, one arising from weathering sandstone arch with a span of 41 meters. The second largest natural arch in New Mexico can be reached with a short walk from a rest area on Highway 117.

The only path through the lava field is about eleven kilometers long, Zuni Acoma Trail, an old Indian trail that connected the Pueblos of Zuni and Acoma together.