"Sandstone Bluffs Overlook" by NPS/Maci MacPherson , public domain
![]() | El MalpaisHiking the Big Tubes |
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covered parks
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
El Malpais National Monument
David Hays 2012
Hiking the Big Tubes Area
The Big Tubes Area offers first hand exploration of a rugged volcanic
landscape. A lava wall, lava bridges, collapses, and lava tube caves can
be seen in this harsh land of beauty and mystery.
Exploring the Big Tubes
Area
To get to the Big Tubes Area, take County
Road 42 to the Big Tubes Road (NPS Road
#300) and travel 4.5 miles to the parking
area. Although normally accessible in a passenger car, these roads can be impassable
during wet weather, even in four-wheeldrive vehicles. Please check road conditions
before venturing to this area.
From the parking area, a cairn-marked route
leads you over a portion of the Bandera Lava
Flow. These rock cairns can be difficult to
see. Be sure to keep the cairn route in sight at
all times. Allow yourself plenty of daylight
to enjoy your exploration. The surface trail is
approximately 2 miles. If you hike the whole
trail, plan on spending at least 4 hours.
Cave Permits
Safety
• Tell someone when you will return.
• Know your limits: At 7500’ (2300 m) the
area can be very hot & dry or cold & wet.
• Footing can be difficult and lava is sharp.
Equipment
• Plenty of water and a snack
• Sturdy hiking shoes; no sandals!
• Hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen
• Rugged GPS handheld device
• First aid kit
GPS Coordinates
Know how to use your GPS unit before you
begin this hike, as the trail can be difficult to
follow and your GPS may save your life.
From the trail, the parking area is to the west
towards the low rise of Cerro Rendija.
Parking Area
Latitude 34° 56’ 40.5”N
Longitude 108° 6’ 24.8”W
Sign Junction (see map)
Latitude 34° 56’ 42.6”N
Longitude 108° 6’ 5.6”W
Several caves in the Big Tubes Area can be
explored if you have a caving permit, available for free at the El Malpais Information
Center, approximately 23 miles southwest
of Grants on NM Highway 53; or at the
Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center, 1900
E Santa Fe Ave in Grants.
Caves may be closed seasonally or yearround if they are hazardous, contain delicate
rock formations, or house colonies of bats.
Before you go caving, you must first talk with
a ranger for the latest caving information and
a free caving permit.
Trail Map
va
Ca
Coterp
lla illa
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e
La
Trench
Wilderness
To County Rd. 42
& Highway 53
Lava Tr
en
ch
d.
es R 0)
Tub
Big Rd. #30
(NPS
Flo
w
Si Cro
gn ss
Ju ing
nc
Su
tio
rfa
ce
n
Tu
be
Douglas Firs
La
va
Tr
en
ch
N
Bandera Crater &
Lava Flow
ge
id
Br
Bi
va
Wilderness
Cairns may be difficult to
find. Do not leave one cairn
until you see the next.
Four Windows
Junction
La
*5
Rock cairn
Giant
Ice Cave
Big Skylight Cave
A’
a
Caution
g
Tu
As be
pe s T
r
n
Tr ailh
ee
ea
s
d
!
0.5 Miles
Approximately 10,000 years ago, magma
broke through the Earth’s crust just a few
miles north of the Big Tubes Area. Under
great pressure, the liquid rock burst into the
air to form a lava fountain sometimes hundreds of feet high. Some of the lava cooled
and separated in the air, falling to the ground
as cinders which accumulated and built
Bandera Crater.
Hot, fluid lava flowed from the base of this
loosely structured cinder cone in a series of
flows that lasted for several years. Confined
by channels of older lava, these “lava rivers”
flowed to the south and east, skirting the
Seven
Bridges
Overlook
southern edge of the Zuni Mountains before
spreading out over the large basin south of
Grants, New Mexico.
As the outer layer of the lava flows cooled
and hardened, it insulated the fluid lava
flowing within. Eventually, the lava ceased
flowing, with the hot fluid lava emptying downhill and leaving behind vast lava
tube caves. The result of this process is a
seventeen-mile-long lava tube system, one of
the longest in the Continental United States.
The lava tube caves and collapses in the Big
Tubes Area are part of this system.
Wilderness
Most of El Malpais National Monument
has been proposed for wilderness designation. Lack of developement in this primitive
environment provides a remote, quiet, and
awe-inspiring wilderness experience. You
can help maintain this area by understanding
wilderness “Leave No Trace” ethics.
Leave No Trace
• Pack out everything you pack in.
• Leave all natural, cultural and historical
objects as you find them.
• Tread lightly and leave no trace of your
visit; pick up any trash you find.
• Respect wildlife and never feed animals.
More Information
Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center
1900 E Santa Fe Ave
Grants, New Mexico, 87020
505 783-4774 or 505-876-2783
www.nps.gov/elma
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