El Malpais — The name means “the Badlands” in Spanish (although I am sure that this is not the name given to the area by the original inhabitants who long preceded the Spanish). A more inhospitable area would be hard to find, but this is a perfect example of how one person’s ‘badland’ is another person’s ‘sacred land.’ Located about 72 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the high desert lands, El Malpais National Monument is the result of multiple volcanic eruptions over the past 100,000 years, most recently about 3,000 years ago. These eruptions formed cinder cones, shield volcanoes, ice caves, trenches, and ‘other-worldly’ formations across the stark landscape.

To the east are the reservation lands of the Laguna and Acoma people, to the west are the lands of the Zuni and Ramah Navajo. Their ancestors had a connection with the land for over 10,000 years, and the tribes still retain a close relationship with El Malpais, considering it an integral part of their culture, using the area for ceremonies, paying respect, and renewing ties.

The day we visit a 60 mph wind is raking the area, throwing up sand and grit; we stop first at Sandstone Bluffs Overlook, which offers excellent vistas of El Malpais lava flows and surrounding countryside, as far away as Mt. Taylor (that already had a Native American name, Tsoodzil, “the Turquoise Mountain” reflecting the sacredness of the peak.)

Sandstone Bluffs, formed over 200 million years ago by ancient seas, overlooks the more recent 3,000-year-old lava flows. There are no trails through this area but you can scramble along the cliffs and even down the sides (be careful on a windy day). Along the base of the bluffs are small sandstone arches and, if you look hard enough, you may see some petroglyphs, evidence of early inhabitants in the area. The guidebook will remind you not to step on any knobby black crusts on the ground since these are, in fact, living communities of micro-organisms that have taken hundreds of years to grow and which are crucial to keeping loose soil from being blown away.

As you drive south, there appear to be faces in the rocks, staring out over the harsh landscape. About 10 miles further along, a short walk off the road, is La Ventana Natural Arch. Some 25 feet thick, 125 feet high and 165 feet across at the base, the archway (New Mexico’s largest reachable natural arch) has been eroded in the Zuni Sandstone (that dates back to the time of the dinosaurs) by wind and water. It is nature’s Gothic Cathedral.

The 500-foot high sandstone bluffs that line the road seem like giant roadblocks. In fact, they were instrumental in stopping the flow of lava after the successive volcanic eruptions. As you look west, you see a land of black basalt with dwarf pine trees and other vegetation that tenaciously have taken root in this inhospitable landscape.

There is much to explore in this primal, ancient land that seems timeless. Spend some time appreciating nature without any trace of ‘modern man’ to mar the landscape of the beautiful El Malpais.

IF YOU GO
El Malpais National Monument is located about 72 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Take exit 89 off I-40 onto NM Hwy 117. There is a ranger station about 9 miles south of the exit where you can pick up maps of the area. There is another more elaborate Visitor Center off EXit 85 where you can watch prairie dogs frolicking outside huge floor to ceiling windows. The  rangers are extremely knowledgeable and helpful, suggesting places to stop and photograph. The area is open year round except Sandstone Bluffs which closes at dusk every day. For information on road conditions, you can call El Malpais Information Center (505-783-4774), the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center (505-876-2783) or the BLM Ranger Station (505-280-2918). The National Park Service publishes a number of very helpful trail guides and brochures which you can download at www./nps.gov/elma.

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