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El Malpais National Monument, Grants

4.6
#1 of 8 in Things to do in Grants
Must see · National Park · Nature / Park
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.

It is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one of the designated New Mexico Scenic Byways.
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El Malpais National Monument reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
310 reviews
Google
4.7
TripAdvisor
  • By Audrey F
    Outstanding scenery, especially the arch and the sandstone bluffs. Worth the time if you are near Grants, New Mexico. We especially love spending time in one of the lesser-visited National...  more »
  • By STLtraveler99999
    We stayed here for 2 nights in April 2021 while traveling to Phoenix from Missouri. The free campground exceeded our expectations. The 12-15 sites are well spread out with beautiful views and...  more »
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Google
  • By Nikki Kindinger
    Great for kids to go caving! Free camping at Joe Skeen Campground-- I think we got the last spot for the night. Junction cave was awesome-- it is cool in there. Be sure to get a free permit at the visitors center, and definitely bring a helmet, or get one there because you will need it! If you have kids that love climbing all over everything, this is the place to go!
  • By John Hutchinson
    Hidden gem. We did not know that the park existed and that there were lava flows and tubes in New Mexico. We got any early start to avoid the hotest part of the day and found the trail to be spectacular. The wild flowers were beautiful.
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