New Mexico · National Monument trail

Lava Falls Trail Stop #2

in New Mexico · centroid 79 mi from Albuquerque

The Ground is Lava Flowing lava creates different features and textures as it flows over, around, and under older, cooler lava flows. Gas bubbles trapped in the rock caused some areas to expand upward and outward. The speed and temperature of other lava flows caused surfaces to fold, fall, and fill in empty gaps.

New lava can break through semi-solid rock, oozing across the path of As the lava completely cooled, it shrank or contracted, cracked, and broke apart. Although the cooling process is over, today's features still tell the story of how the ground was shaped by lava. See how many lava features you can find while you hike the trail today: Squeeze-ups: Small mounds or thin ridges of lava from when still-hot lava was pushed up between two pieces of already-cooled lava.

Lava Toes: These lobe-shaped features form when molten lava breaks out of semi-hardened rock. Ropy pahoehoe: Pronounced puh-HOY-hoy, this formation looks liike lines of rope lying next to each other. Pahoehoe forms when slow-moving lava folds against itself.

States: New Mexico
Trail type: National Monument trail
Centroid nearest city: Albuquerque, NM · 79 mi · ~2.3 hr drive
Centroid coords: 34.7377°, -107.9769°

About El Malpais National Monument

National Monument

This trail is inside El Malpais National Monument, a national monument managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/lafa_stop2.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/elma/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Lava Falls Trail Stop #2 and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

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Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Albuquerque, NM — 79 miles away (~2.3 hr drive). See accommodation in Albuquerque on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.