Grants, New Mexico Lava Fields

Above, pahoehoe lava flow in El Malpais National Monument. USGS photo.

When driving on Interstate 40 through Grants, New Mexico, one will see along both sides of the highway lava fields.

The area, part of the Colorado Plateau, was an active volcanic one. The El Malpais National Monument is near Grants and offers views of volcanic lava flows.

According to Wikipedia:

El Malpais National Monument is a National Monument located in western New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States. 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.

Grants is about 47 miles east of where I live in Jamestown, New Mexico. This probably explains why I have some lava rocks on my property.

RV Travel posted an article about the lava tubes.

They begin with:

A fun and informative stop on our recent travels was the lava fields in Grants, New Mexico. The huge rocks and slabs of lava that oozed out and blew out of volcanoes 3,000 – 5,000 years ago surround the interstate.

We stopped for the night at the local KOA and, although the campground was not much different than any small town overnight-only spot, they were situated on a lava field. The park had carved out an amazing trail through the lava. Informative signs dotted the trail and we thoroughly enjoyed our hike and learning more about the volcanoes that formed the area.

If Grants holds its Wild West Days Rodeo this summer (or maybe sooner), I will see about staying at the KOA and check out its lava trail.

To read more, go here.