Area Description

The El Malpais complex is located about 20 miles south of Grants in Cibola County. El Malpais National Monument and El Malpais National Conservation Area (NCA) form the focal point of the area, with most of the inventory units described here near or adjacent to the National Park Service (NPS) lands. Congress has already designated two Wilderness Areas in the complex: the West Malpais Wilderness and the Cebolla Wilderness. The El Malpais unit itself consists of seven separate BLM parcels, each of which are adjacent to the lava flow that is encompassed by the El Malpais National Monument. These BLM lands combined with the West Malpais Wilderness and El Malpais National Monument form one extremely large roadless area. The nearby Cebolla Wilderness and additional lands identified here form an even larger complex of wildlands to compliment the NPS and wilderness protected lands.

As its name implies, El Malpais is a volcanic landscape with craters and relatively recent lava flows. The McCarty's flow is the youngest flow in the US at 2,000 years old. On the western edge of the complex is the Chain of Craters, a north-south trending chain of volcanic craters covered in fairly thick pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine forests. This "chain" is believed to follow the edge of a fairly shallow (about 2 miles below the surface) magma chamber. Rock fragments emplaced within the younger lava flow, called xenoliths, have been found. These xenoliths are of special interest to geologists as they come from sources deep within the earth's mantle. Cerro Brillante is at the southern edge of the "chain" of craters in the Monte Seco unit. Elevations in this volcanic landscape range from 7,000 feet to 8,345 feet at Cerro Lobo.

Juxtaposed against the volcanic landscape in the area are sedimentary ridges, cliffs, and mesas cut by steep-walled canyons. Just to the north of the lava flow are colorful limestone and sandstone ridges known as Cerritos de Jaspe and Little Hole in the Wall. These rocks are of Permian age (around 280 million years old). In the Cebolla Wilderness and Techado Mesa areas to the east and south are Dakota Sandstone, Mancos Shale, and Crevasse Canyon Formations. These sedimentary rocks mark a time around 130 million years ago when New Mexico was under a vast inland sea. Around 3 million years ago, a basalt lava flow capped the area, forming erosion resistant mesas up to 8,340 feet in elevation.

The young volcanic landscape of El Malpais is full of natural depressions that hold water after periods of heavy rainfall, but the area has no developed drainage system. The Cebolla Wilderness area drains into the closed basin of the North Plains, which lies to the south of El Malpais. The Techado Mesa unit is at a watershed divide. Canyons on the north side of the mesa form part of the headwaters of Blue Water Creek that flows to the Rio Puerco, while those on the south side form part of the headwaters of the Rio Salado. Both the Rio Puerco and Rio Salado are major tributaries to the Rio Grande, adding important watershed values to the unit.

Ecological Values

El Malpais is an ecological wonder. Because of the varied geology, diverse habitats are found in the area and biodiversity increases where these different habitats blend. Much of the lava flow is covered in pinyon-juniper woodland and ponderosa pine-Douglas fir forests with occasional stands of aspen. To the south, across the lava flow is the North Plains, a vast shrub-grassland community, which contains potential habitat for many threatened and endangered species. Special status plant species found or that likely exist in the area include grama grass cactus, cinder cone phacelia, and Acoma fleabane. The mesas of Cebolla and Techado are predominantly covered in pinyon-juniper woodland interspersed with stands of ponderosa pine and deciduous oak communities. Among the woodlands are grassy meadows. The area also contains a microbiotic soil crust community of cyanobacteria and lichen, which provides good ground cover and protection from erosion.

Many animals use the more forested areas including elk, mule deer, coyote, bear, mountain lion, bobcat, Abert's squirrel, turkey, and many species of reptiles such as the side-blotched and eastern fence lizard. Numerous depressions and playas in the complex serve as ephemeral water sources during rainy seasons and provide resting areas for migratory waterfowl. The lava flows are well known for their cave resources that provide important habitat for numerous bat species. Pronghorn occur predominantly in the shrub-grasslands found in the southern portion of the area. Soils in the this area are deep enough to support prairie dogs and other small burrowing mammals, which become prey for raptors and create habitat for burrowing owls. The prairie dog towns are also possible reintroduction sites for the black-footed ferret. Threatened and endangered species in the grass-shrub community include the bald eagle and both American and Arctic peregrine falcons. Special-status species found in the area include the mountain plover, western burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, loggerhead shrike, Cebolleta southern pocket gopher, and Texas horned lizard.

Scenic and Recreational Qualities

Many features make the El Malpais area highly scenic. The lava flow itself contains interesting basalt formations. This makes geologic sightseeing and photographic opportunities excellent. The dark basalt rocks contrasts nicely with the dark green of the coniferous trees that grow in pockets of soil within the lava flow. Colorful sandstone cliffs, rounded, tree-covered cinder cones, and vast grasslands add to the scenic diversity of the area. Panoramic views of canyons and mesas that seem to unfold in layers further add to this value.

BLM has designated the Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway in the southwestern portion of the complex. The Continental Divide Trail passes through the western and northern part of the complex. Southeast of Cerro Brillante, is a feature named La Rendija, which is a crack in the lava flow that creates a corridor that the Continental Divide Trail roughly follows. The trail crosses the lava flow on what is also known as the Zuni-Acoma trail. In addition to hiking, recreational opportunities in the area include backpacking, archeological sightseeing, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, bird watching, and hunting (where permitted).

Special Management Areas

All BLM lands in this complex except Techado Mesa are part of the El Malpais NCA. This designation was created in 1987 when the lands in the El Malpais National Monument were transferred from BLM to the National Park Service. It was also at this time that the West Malpais and Cebolla Wilderness Areas were designated on BLM lands as was the Chain of Craters Wilderness Study Area (WSA).

Cultural Values

In addition to its geology, El Malpais is well known for its cultural resources. This area is on the periphery of the Chacoan Culture Province. Remains of the Pueblo Period are especially evident. The Cerritos de Jaspe parcel contains over 30 individual pueblos, each having up to 20 rooms, which were occupied from A.D. 950-1125 by a dispersed prehistoric Anasazi community. In addition, some remains of the Archaic Period exist in the area. Significant petroglyphs can be found in the Cebolla Wilderness area. Landmarks of historic times area also prevalent in the complex and include many homesteads. On-going studies will reveal more of this region's rich cultural history.

Access Information

Access to the El Malpais is either from Hwy 53 going south from Grants or Hwy 117 going south at Exit 89 from I-40. The Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway connects these two highways in a loop that goes around the lava flow and between the Chain of Craters and Monte Seco units and the West Malpais Wilderness. This road can be very muddy after rainstorms. Hwy 117 gives easy access to the Cebolla Wilderness. Techado Mesa is a long way in from any pavement - use detailed maps to access.

The USGS 7.5 minute maps that cover this complex are Grants SE, Los Pilares, Arrosa Ranch, Ice Caves, Cerro Hueco, Goat Hill, Cerro Alto, Cerro Brillante, Ice Caves SE, North Pasture, Laguna Honda, Mecate Meadow, Cebollita Peak, Sand Canyon, York Ranch, La Rendija, Cerro Pomo, Bonine Canyon, Wild Horse Canyon, and Wiley Mesa.