Established in August 9, 1916, Capulin Volcano National Monument preserves an example of our volcanic past and the most perfect cinder cone in the US. The cinder cone rises up out of the grasslands of north eastern New Mexico – reaching over 8,000 feet above sea level. After 10 years of volcanic activity, over 16 square miles were covered in lava.

But, don’t worry, the last time it erupted was 50 to 60,000 years ago!

The nearest town is Folsom, New Mexico; a ghost town with a population of less than 100. Once the site of thriving stockyards, now there isn’t much to this town other than a small museum open only in the summer.

The drive to Capulin Volcano makes it worth the trip. Northeastern New Mexico is gorgeous. Buttes, mesas, old volcano cones and lava flows; grassy valleys surrounded with hills of pinyon pines and juniper; and rocky canyons. The area is primarily cattle ranches – so watch out for cows. You may also see deer, antelope, elk and wild turkeys.

We took US highway 72 from Ratan, New Mexico. It is a less-travelled road and gives you a great sense of the countryside. You do have to choose the time of year that you visit. Summers are hot and dry, but in winter you can potentially get snow.

Hint: If you come that way, be sure to drop by Fort Union National Monument. It is the ruins of an old fort that guarded and protected people on the Santa Fe Trail. Fun to walk around!

What to do at Capulin Volcano National Park

Visitor Center

As with other parks, start at the visitor center. They have a good movie that will help you understand more about the volcano and it’s history, plus the surrounding volcanic field.  During the summer the rangers have interpretive programs. They will also tell you how to pronounce Capulin (cah poo leen) and that the name actually comes from the chokecherries that grew at the top.

Scenic Drive

You will want to take the scenic drive to the top of the volcano. (Cyclists and pedestrians are only allowed if the road is closed because there are no shoulders.) The drive is only 2 miles but very scenic with views of the Sangre de Christo mountains. In fact, on a clear day you can see the Rocky Mountains and five states. You can also see the lava flow and remains of other volcanos. The area has over 100 recognizable former volcanos!

Note: Trailers and towed vehicles are not allowed on the road. There is a small parking lot at the visitor center, plus an overflow lot. We dropped our trailer in a small parking lot in Folsum and drove our motorcycle to the top. That was a fun ride. At one point we had to stop and let the cows cross the road!

On our latest visit, the parking lot at the top was full so we had to put our name on a waiting list and give the ranger our cell phone number. The wait was not long – really just time for us to walk around the visitor center and watch the movie, then they sent us a text to say it was okay for us to go up.

Hiking

From the parking lot at the top there are two trails. A 1 mile loop trail takes you around the rim of the crater. It is pretty strenuous – some 12% uphill grades – and might be windy, but you have an amazing view.

You can see “baby Capulin” (a smaller cinder cone) and a shield volcano, plus the endless prairie. If the day is clear, you can see the mountain ranges off in the distance.

You can also check out the 20,000 year old lichen growing on the rocks.

Another paved trail starting at the top takes you right down into the 400 foot crater.

It’s just a quarter of a mile (easy to hike even in motorcycle boots) and it is really neat to be in the middle of a crater!!! But beware, what goes down, must come back up!

If you like to hike, there is another undeveloped trail at the base of the volcano – the Lava Flow trail – that takes you out onto the lava beds. That is pretty interesting too – but be sure to take water, especially in the hot months!

On our last visit we hiked the Boca Trail. It is just 2 miles, starting from a small parking lot near the visitor center. You are walking below the mouth (boca) of the volcano.

It is a really nice hike, but best with hiking boots and poles. You see lava lakes, collapsed lava tubes and a lava fissure (like a glacial crevasse).

There were very few people hiking and the picnic area there was really nice. There were several tables at the parking lot, and if you walk a few hundred feet off the parking there were a couple of very secluded picnic tables.

Over 100 years old

When the National Park Service was established in August of 1916, there were 14 National Parks, 21 National Monuments plus Hot Springs and Casa Grande Ruin Reservations. Prior to that, some were managed by the Department of the Interior, others by the War Department and yet others by the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture. To unify leadership and administration of all these units, Congress passed the Organic Act. This established the National Park Service and brought all of these existing parks under central management. This included Capulin Volcano National Monument.

Are you trying to visit all the National Parks, or National Park Units?

If your goal is to visit them, one or all, we’d love to help you strategize. Give us a call at (480) 609-3978 or drop us a note here. We always enjoy talking with people who share our passion for visiting these gems of the National Park Service. 

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