The main parking lot is closed for renovations. Parking is available to the East of the dinosaur statues across 18th St.
Click Here to view a map of the closure and of available parking.
The main parking lot is closed for renovations. Parking is available to the East of the dinosaur statues across 18th St.
Click Here to view a map of the closure and of available parking.
Volcanoes and volcanic landforms are abundant, well-exposed, and un-eroded in New Mexico, so there are many opportunities to use New Mexico examples for understanding physical volcanology characteristics. And one of the great rift valleys of Earth, the Rio Grande rift, also cuts through the middle of New Mexico. Both features have played an important role in shaping both the landscape and the unique culture of the New Mexico that we know today.
Below is a map showing the distribution of the volcanic areas on a digital elevation model of the state. Click on a volcano icon to learn more about each one.
(33 miles east of Raton). With a paved road to the summit crater, a rim trails and a trail to the bottom of the crater, this is one of the most accessible volcanoes in the country.
(72 miles west of Albuquerque). This is "Hawaii in the desert Southwest" and gives visitors an opportunity to see primary lava flow structures. Many terms used to descibe fresh lava flows were originally defined from studies in this area.
(Albuquerque’s west side). The petroglyphs were etched on lava flows that erupted from a classic fissure eruption. This site includes both unusual small-scale volcanic features and some typical examples of the interior of lava flows.
(30 miles west of Bernalillo). This offers visitors one of the best views in the world of the near-surface interiors of small volcanoes. And the setting is classic Southwest, with buttes and mesas.
(40 miles west-northwest of Santa Fe). This is a monument to New Mexico’s undiscovered potential. Quite simply, from the perspective of morphology, the Valles Caldera is a better example of a supervolcano than Yellowstone. It is the "poster-child" for large calderas.
(3 miles west of Carrizozo). One of the longest young lava flows in the world, with features often seen in textbook examples of young lava flows.
(County Road 601 between Fence Lake and Quemado). This classic young volcanic crater formed explosively when hot magma encountered ground water. It is one of dozens of explosive craters, called "maars" by geologists, occurring throughout New Mexico.
Volcanoes of New Mexico: an abbreviated guide for non-specialists
(2001 article by L. S. Crumpler and J. C. Aubele) [1.1MB PDF]