West Malpais &
Hole-in-the-Wall
El Malpais National Conservation Area
Within the West Malpais Wilderness
is a 6700-acre kipuka called Holein-the-Wall. “Kipuka” is a Hawaiian
word meaning “island of vegetation
surrounded by lava flow.”
Bureau of Land Management
Rio Puerco Field Office
100 Sun Ave. NE
Pan American Bldg., Suite 330
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109
505/761-8700 or
El Malpais Ranger Station
505/280-2918
or
www.blm.gov/new-mexico
In case of emergency:
BLM Rio Puerco Law Enforcement – 505/761-8700
Immediate Emergency – 911
24-hour Federal Law Enforcement – 800/637-9152
BLM/NM/GI-16-05-8000
Welcome to the West Malpais Wilderness/
Hole-in-the-Wall!
L
ooking for adventure? A hike into this rugged wilderness
brings wonderful opportunities as well as challenges for
the adventurous hiker.
vital nutrients for others, and opening up new niches in
which life may begin anew.
As a result, species have adapted to the unique conditions
here.
There is also considerable evidence of human activities
in the Hole-in-the-Wall. The ancestors of today’s native
peoples, homesteaders and modern day ranchers have
influenced this special area.
The area is remote, far from the roars of the highways and
insistent dings of technology, and a person can be free to
reconnect with themselves. You’ll
“A wilderness, in contrast with
begin to refresh as you hike through
those
areas where man and his own
rocky areas with little vegetation
works dominate the landscape, is
and spot tracks from cougars or
see skittering lizards. As you hike
hereby recognized as an area where
further into the Wilderness, you
the earth and its community of life are
may look around you, shocked as
untrammeled by man, where man himself
the barren land becomes more
is a visitor who does not remain.”
densely vegetated.
Now that this area is wilderness, it
is protected for all to enjoy.
Among other opportunities in the El
Malpais NCA, is the West Malpais
Widlerness. Within the West Malpais
Wilderness an oasis of vegetation is
housed and is known as the Hole-inWilderness Act of 1964
the-Wall. The Hole-in-the-Wall is the
largest islandlike depression in the
The El Malpais National
EL Malpais NCA lava fields and over the years, moisture and
Conservation Area (NCA) contains some of the most
soil collected on some of the oldest lava to form this 6,000dynamic and scenic landscape in New Mexico. El Malpais
acre park of ponderosa pine.
is Spanish for “the badlands,” a description worthy of the
area’s countless volcanic eruptions which sent rivers of
Near the northeast corner of the wilderness you will find
molten rock and flying cinders over what is now a bleak
yourself in a 6700-acre kipuka called Hole-in-the-Wall.
valley of three million years’ worth of hardened lava. Native
“Kipuka” is a Hawaiian word meaning “island of vegetation
American settlers probably witnessed the last of the
surrounded by lava flow.” This fertile ground, underlain by
eruptions. Their former home is now a land of craters and
the 700,000-year-old North Plains lava flows is inhabited by
lava tubes, cinder cones and spatter cones, ice caves and
numerous forms of life, surrounded and segregated from
pressure ridges, and a surprising amount of vegetation.
their original biotic communities by a sea of broken, jagged
basalt.
Many varieties of trees, shrubs, mammals, reptiles, grasses,
fungi and other creatures make this wilderness their home.
These life forms interact
with and influence one
another, in this harsh,
dry environment. For
example, lichen slowly
breaks down rock and
obtains nutrients from
the stone. This process
provides new soil and
a toehold for new plant
growth. Antelope, deer,
rabbits, and squirrels
forage for these plants
and scarce water.
Lightning-caused
wildfires sweep through
areas, destroying some
plants, while releasing
Access
The easier, fastest, and best
driving route to access the
West Malpais Wilderness and
Hole-in-the-Wall is from the
south end of the NCA off NM
117. From NM 117, proceed
northwest on CR 42 for
approximately 2.1 miles. Take
the right fork to the north and
travel about 5 miles to where
the road ends at the West
Malpais Wilderness trailhead.
These areas can also be
accessed from the north by
turning south from NM 53
onto CR 42 and proceeding
approximately 5.8 miles
turning left (east) on the road
to Big Tubes (NPS 300). From
Park Road 300 take 301 off
to the south. Park Road 301
forks many times but stay
on it continuing to go south
and east. (Be forewarned, this
is one of the roughest roads
in the NCA!) These roads
are minimally maintained
but should be marked at each junction. You should see a
sign for Little Hole-in-the-Wall. Continue straight in for an
additional 9 miles to the Cerro Encierro Trailhead.
Pointers and Precautions
Water is a scarce and precious resource in this arid country.
You must carry with you all the water you need.
No mechanized
vehicles (mountain
bikes included) may be
driven past the posted
wilderness boundary
into the wilderness.
It’s safer to let someone
know where you are
going.
Wet weather conditions
can make roads
treacherous and
impassable. Check with
a Ranger before you
attempt to drive any of
the back roads within
the NCA.
You can explore above and below ground lava features
(but stay out of bat caves!). The West Malpais Wilderness
and Hole-in-the-Wall are places for
you to savor solitude, encounter
some of the Earth’s geologic past,
and experience the solace and
satisfaction that comes from
exploring an area often overlooked
by others.