Valley of Fires, NM

We left Alamagordo, NM in the afternoon and drove northward towards Carrizozo, NM and then drove west towards Central NM and I-25.

But before we reached I-25, we stopped off at The Valley Of Fires Recreation Area just west of Carrizozo.

The Valley of Fires Recreation Area is adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow, a BLM Wilderness Study Area. The lava flow is between 1,500 and 2,000 years old, making it the youngest such flow in the continental United States. It extends from Little Black Peak south into the Tularosa Basin for 44 miles.

The flow is between 4 and 6 miles wide and the lava is 160 feet deep at its thickest point. A surprising number and variety of plants and animals thrive in the rugged landscape of the flow.

The Malpais are basaltic lava flows, formed by magma (molten rock)such as are being passively erupted today in Hawaii. State highway 380 traverses the Carrizozo Malpais, and this road provides good access to people who want to view the lava flows.
The Bureau of Land Management maintains a very nice and clearly marked path that is about 1.5 miles long and is fairly easy to hike.

It was a very windy day, so we didn't do much hiking, but we did enjoy the tumultuous black lava vistas.
Some of the unique Pahoehoe 'folded' lava flow.
A sattelite image of the Valley of Fires lava flow.