Capulin Volcano National Monument: Hiking in a Volcano!

How would you like to spend half a day hiking in and around a volcano?  Now, don’t freak out, it’s not an active volcano!  But if this sounds like a cool experience, you will love hiking around Capulin Volcano National Monument.

With a paved trail around the rim of the volcano providing stunning views, and a short trail leading into the mouth of the volcano, you’ll love this unique experience!  

Even President Woodrow Wilson deemed Capulin Volcano a “striking example of recent extinct volcanoes” in 1916.  It was this proclamation that designated the area as Capulin Volcano National Monument.  

So head on over to northern New Mexico and take a walk around an incredible example of an extinct volcano!

Important Links 

Capulin Volcano National Monument Website

Park Map and Brochure (PDF)

Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!

America the Beautiful Pass

Need to Know

Before we officially get started with everything you need to know, here are a few important details about the park to start you off!

• Vehicles longer than 26 feet are NOT allowed on Volcano Road.
• Trailers can NOT be towed on Volcano Road
• Pets are only welcome on the Nature Trail (0.2 miles) 
• Pets are NOT welcome in buildings or any other trails in the park
• Capulin in pronounced Ca-poo-lean
• You CANNOT access Volcano Road until the gate is open (see hours below)
• Pay your fee upon entering in the visitor center (see Prices below)

Now that you know a bit about the national monument, let’s get into the details.

Location

Northern New Mexico is where the Rocky Mountains begin to rise above the horizon.  This impressive mountain range is best known for their 14ers in Colorado.  But northern New Mexico is home to several small towns, a few state parks and Capulin Volcano National Monument.  

Capulin Volcano National Monument is located right on the Colorado-New Mexico state line.  Just 40 mins from Raton, NM, this park is a great place to visit if you want to also check out Sugarite Canyon State Park.  However, if you live close to Santa Fe, you’re looking at a 3 hour drive and another 3 hours drive if you live up by Colorado Springs, CO.   

Fees

Nearly all national locations charge a fee to enter, and Capulin Volcano National Monument is no exception.  There are a few options for getting into the park, but the bottom line is that you will have to pay a fee to enter this park.  

Daily Fee:

• $10 to enter by bike/on foot
• $15 to enter on a Motorcycle
• $20 to enter in a car

Another option is to buy an America the Beautiful Pass, which is $80 and will get you and a car-full of people into just about any National Park/Seashore/Monument for free!  Yes, it’s more money up front, but it’s valid for 365 days from your purchase and as long as you go to a few National locations it pays for itself.

Hours

The highlight of the park is located at the very end of Volcano Road.  This is just a quick 2 mile drive to a parking lot where then you can hike the rim of the volcano.  But this road is gated and only open during certain hours.  SEE BELOW

Summer hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day

Volcano Road is open to vehicles from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Hiking or bicycling up Volcano Road is allowed after the road is closed to vehicles.

Winter hours from Labor Day to Memorial Day

Volcano Road is open 8:30am to 4:00pm. Hiking or bicycling up Volcano Road is allowed after the road is closed to vehicles.

The lower trails in the park (Boca Trail, Nature Trail, and Lava Flow Trail) are open 24 hours a day.  You will just have to park near the visitor center.  

Parking 

There are 3 main parking lots in Capulin Volcano National Monument.  There is the Visitor Center Parking Lot which you will see as you pull in.  You can access both the Lava Flow Trail and the Nature Trail from here.  

Then there is the Picnic Area Parking Lot, which is less than half a mile into the park.  This parking lot gives you access to the Lava Flow Trail and the Boca Trail.

And finally there is the Summit Parking Lot which gives you access to the Crater Rim Trail and the Crater Vent Trail.   

Elemental Things at Capulin Volcano

Capulin Volcano National Monument is a beautiful park with an interesting history and some fascinating geology.  But there are few things to know about the elements. 

Let’s start with Bring Sunscreen.  Capulin Volcano is a wide open park, so make sure that you pack your hats and sunscreen.  I would also suggest a light shirt that has long sleeves for the best sun protection. 

Next up is to Bring Bug Spray.  There are many trees and bushes along the paths, which can make a great home for gnats and other bugs.  Even when walking through the grassy pastures of the Boca Trail, you’ll be thankful for bug spray.  

And finally, this park is located between 7,000 and 8,200 feet of elevation, so pack lots of water and be prepared to go slower on the trails.  If you are coming from a low altitude area, you might be shocked to find yourself out of breath.  So come prepared to avoid altitude sickness.  

Things to Do Here

Capulin Volcano National Monument isn’t a huge park.  There are a few hiking trails, a picnic area, and a great visitor center within the park.  If you’re looking for a multi-day park, this isn’t it.  But you can easily spend 3 – 6 hours enjoying the beauty of the park.  

And as a bonus, Capulin Park Rangers put together some amazing astronomy programs.  About twice a month they open their telescopes to allow people to see the night sky.  You can find all the Night Time Activities listed at this link.

Hiking

Within the confines of the Capulin Volcano National Monument, there are 5 hiking trails that you can hike on to explore the park.  You can find the trail map on page 2 of this park brochure.  

The trails vary from easy to moderate and are anywhere from 0.2 miles to 2 miles long.  If you plan to hike every trail, you will need up to a half day at this park.  Here are the trails!

Trails

• Crater Rim Trail – 1 mile, very steep, paved, loop trail – Moderate 
• Crater Vent Trail – 0.2 miles (one way), steep, paved, out and back trail – Easy
• Lava Flow Trail – 1 mile, unpaved, loop trail – Easy
• Boca Trail – 2 miles, unpaved, loop trail – Easy
• Nature Trail – 0.2 miles, sidewalk (ADA compliant), loop – Easy   

These trails total up to less than 5 miles.  So if you are looking to spend some more time in the park, there are a few more ways to spend your time, starting with a picnic.  

Picnic Area

About a half mile from the visitor center, there is a picnic area.  This area has shade and picnic tables where you can rest and eat a packed lunch after hiking the trails.   

Visitor Center

When you first enter the park, there is a great visitor center to the right.  This building not only has your typical National Park souvenirs, but it also has great information about wildlife, the history, and anything else you might want to know about Capulin Volcano!  

Even if you plan to hike all 5 of these trails, have a picnic and gather all the information about the park, you’ll probably only need about half a day here.  So let’s check out what else there is to do in the area!

Things To Do in the Area

There isn’t much in the area of Capulin Volcano National Monument, but there is a great state park about 40 minutes away!  New Mexico has some great state parks and Sugarite Canyon State Park is definitely one of them.  

With 3 different lakes to fish or explore, 2 camping areas, and over a dozen miles of hiking trails, you’ll easily be able to fill your day at Sugarite Canyon!  For all the details about hiking and camping here, check out this post on Hiking and Camping in Sugarite Canyon State Park.  

Conclusion

Capulin Volcano National Monument preserves an excellent example of an extinct volcano.  It allows those interested in the unique geology of a Cinder Cone Volcano to get up close and personal.  

And while this certainly isn’t Yellowstone, this park is well preserved by the National Parks Service and deserves to be protected.  So pack up the family and take an adventure to an extinct volcano!

As always, feel free to reach out to me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions.

-Happy Hiking!