El Malpais National Monument - Plan Your Visit

Local Partners & Information Resources

Grants/Cibola County Chamber of Commerce

El Malpais National Conservation Area

Getting There

Plane
Major airlines serve Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is 72 miles east of the monument. Rental vehicles are available in Albuquerque and limited rentals are available in Grants, NM and Gallup, NM. Greyhound bus lines has limited service to Grants, NM.

Car
El Malpais is located south of Grants, NM. Two major state highways border the monument and conservation area and both are accessed via Interstate 40. Exit 89, east of Grants, will take you along NM 117 which forms the eastern boundary. BLM"s El Malpais Ranger Station is located 9 miles south of this exit and is open daily. Exit 85 at Grants will take you to the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center, a multi-agency facility, located south of exit 85 and is open daily. Exit 81, west of Grants, will take you along NM 53 which forms the northwestern boundary. NPS"s El Malpais Information Center is located 23 miles south of this exit and is open daily.

Public Transportation
Greyhound bus lines has limited service to Grants, NM.

Getting Around

Two state highways provide access to many areas in the monument. These are NM 117 and NM 53. County Road 42, a dirt road, provides access to the backcountry"s primitive dirt roads. These roads may be impassable when wet. Travel on these roads is restricted to high clearance vehicles and those with four-wheel drive are preferred. Mountain bikes, hiking and horseback (no bike or horse rentals available) are also means of transportation. Hiking routes exist throughout the monument. Most traverse lava flows and are marked with rock cairns. Few dirt routes exist. Backcountry hiking and cave exploration is permitted, but no water is available. Topographical maps and a compass or GPS unit are strongly suggested for backcountry exploration. Please stop by a visitor center for the park"s caving policy and information prior to entering any cave. Entry to most caves requires permits in advance of your visit. Use extreme caution hiking on lava terrain - its sharp and unstable! Please don"t hike or cave alone.