Malpais Nature Trail trailhead — Attraction in Four Corners States

I absolutely love walking this trail because I love imagining the eruption that created this lava flow from Little Black Peak! As an artist, I love seeing the undulations, eruptions, bubble caves, and edges of every surface and can imagine the fiery hot liquid rock slowly flowing down the valley and solidifying in place. It is amazing to see the vegetation that makes its hard living here, as well as the tiny creatures that live here. This is a great educational opportunity for everyone. On Google satellite photos, you can see how this lava flow makes a long vertical north/south line and White Sands south of here creates an exclamation point! As per Native American spirituality, I see where the red (fiery rock), black (solid lava), yellow (the sun), white (White Sands gypsum), and the blue (sky) all come together in this spiritually rich area. This is one of my most favorite places in the world.

When I first visited around 1990, the entire site was completely black with almost zero vegetation. Today, in 2025, the increased rainfall and resultant mountain runoff have terraformed this place into a new zone in which all the hungry desert seeds can sprout. I actually miss the blackness, but there are still a few places where the jagged lava reaches above the vegetation, and...

This is an awesome spot to stop for a walk through the biodiverse lava landscape and have a picnic. The site also offers camping, including spots with electricity and/or water. I took a quick Summer afternoon walk around the loop and was dazzled by the lava formations. The green plants contrast well with the black lava rocks, and there are signs of wildlife all over. The trail offers a chance to learn about the geological, anthropological, and biological history of the area. The trail is well-maintained and an easy stroll, though you can choose to leave the trail and hike the lava rocks...

If you want to a great look at the volcanic history of New Mexico, which has more volcanic based parks than Hawaii, Idaho, Wyoming, Washington, and Oregon combined you don't want to miss the Malpaos nature trail in the Valley of Fire. This is a boardwalk style loop through a young lava field (less that 10000 years old). They actually encourage you to (safely) step out on to the field and to touch the rocks. Bring water as it is only available at the visitor center. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a wide brimmed hat are also recommended as this...