New Mexico · National Monument trail

Lava Falls Trail Stop #3

in New Mexico · centroid 79 mi from Albuquerque

McCartys Crater All lava erupts from somewhere, and in the case of the lava you are standing on, it erupted erupted from McCartys Crater. The crater had been a cinder cone volcano, which is the same feature as El Calderon within El Malpais and Wizard Island in the middle of Crater Lake National Park. “Had been” is used because the current McCartys Crater is much shorter than before.

To see its remains, pretend you are standing in the center of a clock. Now, look in the direction of what would be 11:00. A line of boulders and rock rubble lines the middle horizon. If you are looking at the flat-topped ridges in the far distance, you are looking too far.

As a lone, vertical feature in fields of jagged lava, McCartys Crater was viewed as a remote-enough practice target for training air pilots. The cinder cone and the nine square miles around it were bombarded with practice and live bombs for ten months. Despite two major unexploded ordnance removal projects, there are likely still unexploded ordnance in the area closest to McCartys Crater.

States: New Mexico
Trail type: National Monument trail
Centroid nearest city: Albuquerque, NM · 79 mi · ~2.3 hr drive
Centroid coords: 34.7386°, -107.9779°

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_stop3.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 #3 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.