Capulin Volcano National Monument

Capulin Volcano Table of Contents

• Maps
• Photographs
• Surroundings
• The volcano
• Hiking
• Nearby places
• Similar places

Maps

PDF format maps of Capulin Volcano National Monument, from the National Park Service:

Overview area map (96 kb)
Park map (92 kb)

Photographs

7 views of Capulin Volcano National Monument.

Surroundings

Capulin Volcano - one of the 20 least visited national monuments in the West

The Capulin Volcano is just off US 64/87, the main highway across this part of the state, linking the Texas panhandle with I-25; the village of Capulin is 27 miles from the interstate and 62 miles from the TX/NM border. There is not much traffic on the back roads in this corner of New Mexico, though all the land is still used, privately owned and fenced off, hence finding a free campsite is not so easy. One possible place is along a side track off highway 72 a few miles west of Folsom, which is a sleepy farming town 10 miles north of Capulin. Folsom is famous as the site of the most significant archaeological discovery in the US, when, following a large flash flood in Wild Horse Arroyo, a local resident (George McJunkin) discovered a large number of bison bones, some with embedded stone spear heads. The bones were later dated at 10,000 BC, which doubled the length of time man was known to have inhabited this continent. The town has a small museum, not always open, with exhibits about the discovery of 'Folsom Man'. The Capulin Volcano is 6 miles south of Folsom but clearly visible for many more miles across the surrounding grasslands.

The Volcano

The national monument has a small visitor center that charges a relatively high $20 per vehicle for entry (2024), or $35 for an annual pass. One short path starts nearby - the Lava Flow Trail, which loops through woodland, meadows and occasional patches of overgrown lava for 2 miles, but the main activity here is to drive the road to the top of the volcano then walk along the loop path on the crater rim. The road curves 360° round the peak, ending at a parking area 600 feet above the visitor center, at the lowest point of the rim on its west side. Prevailing winds during the last eruption around 60,000 years ago pushed cinders more to the east, so the east rim is up to 300 feet higher. The sides of the volcano are quite densely covered by pinyon/ponderosa pine trees and juniper bushes, unlike most nearby volcanoes, and even the top of the rim is often overgrown though all growth is quite stunted here due to poor soil quality and lack of water. Opuntia cacti are found even at the highest point (8,182 feet).

Trails of Capulin Volcano National Monument

The one mile rim trail is steep in parts, though short, but often more difficult than might be expected due to frequent strong winds and the high elevation. The rim offers good views of distant lands in all directions, including various lava flows, now mostly grass-covered and difficult to identify from ground level. Another short trail descends into the shallow crater. The volcano is best photographed from a distance, such as from Capulin itself, along the main highway. This is another sleepy town, with a selection of abandoned buildings.

Capulin Volcano - Nearby Places

• Cimarron Canyon State Park (85 miles) - wooded, steep-sided canyon with unusual rocks
• Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado (163 miles) - the largest dunes in America

Capulin Volcano - Similar Places

• Lunar Crater, Nevada - wide volcanic crater in an isolated region
• Sunset Crater Volcano, Arizona - several volcanoes, with lava fields and cinder cones