South of Grants and about 78 miles west of Albuquerque is a surrealistic landscape of lave flows, volcanic cinder cones, natural arches, eroded sandstone cliffs, pine and aspen forests, and ice caves. This unusual area is El Malpais National Monument. Two roads take you to the monument--Route 52 and Route 117. They are connected by county roads, but these roads are very rough so you might want to first explore the Route 117 side via Interstate 40 and then back track and do the Route 53 area. The best time to explore the monument and photograph the unusual formations are early morning and late afternoon.

Route 117

Sandstone Bluff Overlook
   From Interstate 40 east of Grants take State Route 117 south. In about eight miles is the ranger station where you can obtain information. Two miles farther south is a short gravel road on the right that takes you to a ridge of sandstone known as Sandstone Bluff Overlook. Walk the short distance up the hill to a panoramic view of El Malpais black lava flow with a chain of cinder cones. To the west are theZuni Mountains and north is Mount Taylor. This is an excellent sunset destination as the low sun adds color and definition to the rocky terrain and the first or last light strikes Mount Taylor. The overlook closes at dusk. If you are feeling adventurous, follow the bluffs north from the parking area past some interesting formations for about a mile. Below the bluff is an interesting area of pinnacles and natural arches.

La Ventana Natural Arch 
   About 18 miles south of Interstate 40 on Route 117 is the spectacular La Ventana Natural Arch, the largest accessible natural arch in New Mexico. The road passes near 500-foot high sandstone cliffs and you take a short gravel road to a parking area. A short quarter-mile trail leads to the base of the arch, the best photographic view. The best time to be here is late afternoon when there are good shadows. You can also climb to the top of the sandstone cliffs for a magnificent view. Follow the rim north for more views of the arch.

The Narrows
   The road then enters the Narrows and continues south for three miles. There is a short gravel road to a picnic area. From here you can scramble to the top of the sandstone rim and follow it north to some good views of the lava and La Ventana Arch. Route 117 eventually joins Route 36. You can retrace your route back to I-40 or, if you have a high clearance vehicle, you can take County Road 42 to Route 53.

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