Location: Grants
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What to do and see in Grants, New Mexico (NM): The Best Free Things to do
Grants is a city in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. It is located about 78 miles (126 km) west of Albuquerque. The population was 9,182 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Cibola County.
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1. El Malpais National Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 310 reviews
National monument with spectacular scenery.
Reviewed By Mike5466
While definitely tough-to-explore badlands, El Malpais National Monument is not the lifeless volcanic vastness I had expected. Rugged plants and lichens have surprisingly done their best overtaking each and every vesicle, crack, fracture, or crevasse. Enhancing with colors, smells, and textures an incredibly challenging landscape of primeval basalt charred black from eons of slow oxidation. El Malpais is home to some of the oldest Douglas Fir (pseudotsuga) trees in the American Southwest, the eldest clocking over 1,300 years! The same tricky-to-reach lava fields which have curtailed their growth, thanks to poor growing conditions, have also protected them from forest fires, animal (grazing) or human (logging) harm, and possibly diseases. Sadly, the latest drought accompanied with today’s higher temperatures is killing some trees that grew and survived 7+ centuries of wide-ranging growing conditions. Some of these trees were alive long before Spanish conquistadors first set eyes on, and named, this area El Malpais (the badlands) since they couldn’t cross the lava field with their horses and livestock unable to navigate its perilous flows on the way to the West Coast of Mexico. There almost wasn’t an El Malpais National Monument. In the 1940’s, the area was one of the possible sites being considered by the Manhattan Project for testing the first atomic bomb. Eventually, the area near White Sands National Park was chosen as the site for the Trinity nuclear test. While it escaped the atomic bomb, the area was used as a bombing range for pilot training during WWII. The area was handed to the BLM after the war, and in Dec 1987, it was designated as El Malpais National Monument by President Reagan and now spans 114,000 acres in the SE corner of the Colorado Plateau. You can spend several days here, I spent only a couple of them wandering the area from towering sandstone bluffs to mysterious lava sinkholes and from majestic stone arches to intriguing ropy pahoehoe. Thanks to a particularly wet monsoon season in this area of New Mexico, it wasn’t too dry or particularly dusty. Animals, birds, and insects all enjoying the various water holes left from the storm. This volcanic field is relatively recent (700,000 to 3,900 years ago) and well preserved. Its extensive lava-tube system contains more than 290 caves in lava flows and 15 major lava tubes. Laid end-to-end, they would stretch more than 60 miles. If all intact, this tube system would be the longest in North America. Many of which hold seasonal or perennial accumulations of ice. Some of the ice is more than 3,100 years old. Unfortunately, present-day accumulations of perennial ice appear to be at an all-time low. With Covid (and white-nose syndrome in bats), none of the caves were open, so I’ll have to come back to see for myself. Enjoying this unique landscape, it is difficult to imagine that over 150 million years ago, during the Jurassic period, portions of this area resembled the Sahara Desert of today. For the geologically inclined, this is a rugged paradise of extreme backcountry displays where five distinct lava flows lie beside and atop one another, in places reaching 475 feet thick. One of the world’s youngest lava flows named McCartys features some of the most pristine examples of lava formations on earth, thanks, in parts, to the really dry environment. Thirty cinder cones, volcanic remnants far more ancient than the main lava fields, rise along the horizon. In other words, ‘El Malpais is like a pop-up textbook of the magmatic forces that shaped our planet.’ Finally, this area also contains a few kipukas, a Hawaiian term that refers to an ‘exposure of older rock not covered by an overlying lava flow’ or ‘an island of vegetation surrounded by lava flow’ are undisturbed areas that lava flows surrounded but did not cover. These ecological islands of vegetation create islands of native plant and animal communities. Study of the flora and fauna that thrives in the kipukas yields valuable information for restoring disturbed portions of El Malpais. Go through places called Lava Falls – only 50 feet of elevation gain but rough terrain. Need good shoes and good balance. Only a 1-mile train where you will see: Natural Amphitheater, Pygmy Forest, Sink Holes, trenches, and ridges. Learn new words related to volcanology: lava toes, ropy pahoehoe, tachylyte, pressure ridges, squeeze-ups, rough and broken a’a, and the most common of all, basalt. See brightly colored lichens: grays, oranges, neon greens, yellows, steely blues, clinging to the lava rocks. Have picnic or explore the Sandstone Bluffs: Where sharp lava meets smooth sandstone. From 400 feet high, watch the black lava flows of El Malpais, towering ponderosas at the base of the bluff, tall Mount Taylor way in the background, and sweeping vistas in all directions. Place of contrasts in a harsh yet beautiful landscape. Nearby are the ruins of the old 1934 Garrett Homestead. After rainfalls, the potholes, or tinajas, fill with water and create temporary miniature ecosystems. Fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp, spadefoot toad tadpoles and water insects find homes in these tiny oases. Look for these small animals after summer rains fill the shallow depressions. The tinajas atop of the bluffs undoubtedly supplied people with water as well. There is something for everyone here. Many trails I haven’t had time to follow but will definitely be back. Enjoy this very peaceful stark place.
2. Mount Taylor
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 20 reviews
At an elevation of 11,300 feet, this towering mountain is comprised of thick lava flows and extrusive domes due to volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.
3. El Malpais National Monument Visitor Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 57 reviews
Reviewed By gustavolevyrun1 - Sao Paulo, Brazil
It looks like the visitor center was new. Great movie explaining the park, in the theater. Useful tips from Rangers.
4. La Ventana Natural Arch
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 88 reviews
Reviewed By Mike5466
So close to the road and free to see, it would be a sin not to stop to get a better look while also stretching your legs. Fenced off so people don’t go too close to it while still allowing for an excellent view. I could hear so many birds in the distance. Seems like there are many of them in the surrounding cliffs and trees and their sounds carry very far. I came here after a heavy monsoon season, so everything was green and there were still many tinajas (potholes) full of water and teeming with life. The arch itself is on the west side of the cliff. Late afternoon sun would be best for light and pictures. You cannot close enough to see the sky through the arch. Protective fencing prevents you from that. Should you be more adventurous, you can follow the Narrows Rim Trail (round trip about 7 miles) to see the Ventana Arch from above. That trailhead is not near the Arch but starts by the Narrows Picnic Area, 21 miles south of I-40 on NM 117. Enjoy this beauty.
5. El Calderon Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By Mike5466
340 feet of elevation gain gets you to the top of this 115,000-year-old volcanic cone. You can hike the 3.5-mile loop (rocky or sandy terrain – good shoes suggested) or the 5-mile loop along lava trenches, lava tubes, bat cave, sinkholes, cinders, xenolith (foreign rock aka small chunks of white non-volcanic rocks found in the walls of caves), and lava bombs. Very well marked, easy to follow. Can come back from the volcanic cone via vehicular road (shorter) or via path (a bit longer but more scenic), a difference of about 1.5 miles. Unfortunately the caves were all closed due to Covid-19 but I still learned a few new words: trogloxenes (cave guests, are animal species which periodically live in underground habitats such as caves or at the very entrance, but cannot live exclusively in such habitats), troglophiles (may live their entire lives in the cave, but are not fully adapted to the cave environment), and troglobites (live their entire life in the cave and are completely dependent on the cave for survival). It is also interesting to learn that Lata tubes have been used for temporary shelters, natural refrigerators, shrines, and even as source of fertilizer thanks to bat guano, which is very high in nitrates. Passing by the bat cave. “Smoke Signals no more: A cloud of smoke circling toward the sky is what the nightly flight of Mexican free-tailed bats looks like. The flight used to last for an hour or more without showing signs of slowing. In recent years, the circling cloud of smoke has been replaced by a winding tendril that lasts fifteen minutes or less.” A camera is located near the entrance of the cave to watch the bat (seasonally) and, I assume that it could is also there to watch for people going ‘out of bound’. I am in my 60’s and had no difficulties with this trail. The stairway to the top of the cinder cone overlook was a bit steep but done slowly it wasn’t bad. Many areas are without shade so prepare accordingly. Remote enough that I didn’t see anyone else hiking. Great during Covid physical distancing times.
