Valley of Fires, New Mexico

About 5,000 years ago, Little Black Peak, a volcano vent, erupted, flooding the Tularosa Basin with molten rock.  It is considered one of the youngest eruptions in the United States.  It is also referred to as The Malpais, which is Spanish for "badlands".  Some of the lava is now overgrown with grass and small bushes.

 The Valley of Fires is located 4 miles West of Carrizozo, New Mexico on US 380.  It is approximately 5 miles wide and over 40 miles long.  It some areas it is 165 feet deep.  What an awesome site.

We take US 380 when we go to Albuquerque from Alamogordo.  It is a very long, boring road.  And then out of nowhere you see a stretch of black area that crosses US 380, on both sides of you.  It looks like there was a grass fire until you get up to it.  All of this black lava rock for miles.  And before you know it, it's in your rear view mirror.  Amazing, right in the middle of the desert.

The Valley of Fires is a State Park and recreation area.  It has 19 campsites, picnic tables, grills, bathrooms and showers.  If you walk through the nature trail there are many kinds of flowers, cactus, trees and bushes.  You might even see bats, roadrunners, quail, cottontails, mule deer, barberry sheep, and lizards. It's also a birdwatcher's paradise with great horned owls, burrowing owls, buzzards, hawks, gnat catchers, cactus wrens, sparrows and golden eagles.

It also has a Visitor's Center where you can buy books, t-shirts and postcards.