| El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation Area | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 Pahoehoe lava flow in El Malpais National Monument | |
   | |
| Location | Cibola County, New Mexico, USA |
| Nearest city | Grants, NM |
| Coordinates | 34°52′38″N 108°03′03″W / 34.87722°N 108.05083°W |
| Area | 114,276 acres (462.46 km2)[1] |
| Established | December 31, 1987 |
| Visitors | 105,356 (in 2011)[2] |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | El Malpais National Monument |
El Malpais National Monument is a National Monument located in western New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States.[3] The name El Malpais is from the Spanish term Malpaís, meaning badlands, due to the extremely barren and dramatic volcanic field that covers much of the park's area.
It is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one of the designated New Mexico Scenic Byways.[4] There are many geologic features, including lava tubes and ice caves. There is also abundant wildlife to be encountered year round. Native Americans have used the area for centuries, and it became a National Monument in 1987.
- ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-05-13. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
- ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
SIGVPwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Trail of the Ancients. Archived August 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine New Mexico Tourism Department. Retrieved August 14, 2014.