Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New Mexico Des Moines Capulin Volcano

Capulin Volcano

This volcano rises like a giant anthill from the plains below, with a road spiraling up to the rim.

Des Moines, New Mexico

Added By
Tony Dunnell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Capulin Volcano   U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library/public domain
Capulin Volcano   National Park Service/Public Domain
Capulin Volcano   National Park Service/Public Domain
Capulin Volcano   National Park Service/Public Domain
Capulin Volcano   National Park Service/Public Domain
View from the top of Capulin Volcano   Leaflet/public domain
View of the volcano rim from the interior  
inside the caldera   breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
  Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
360 view   tfeldis / Atlas Obscura User
  smichaelwilson / Atlas Obscura User
View looking down into the center of the volcano from the upper parking lot  
Another view of the volcano rim from the interior  
panoramic   tfeldis / Atlas Obscura User
View of the interior of the volcano from the upper parking lot  
View of the volcano approaching from the south  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Around 60,000 years ago the Capulin Volcano erupted for the last time, spewing lava, fire, and ash on to the plains of what is now northeastern New Mexico. Today it sits extinct, its near-perfect cinder cone rising up like a massive anthill some 1,000 feet above the surrounding landscape.

Capulin Volcano was declared a National Monument in 1916 during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, who called it "a striking example of recent extinct volcanoes … of great scientific and especially geologic interest."

Geologically speaking, the Capulin Volcano is a relatively young and beautifully symmetrical volcano. The rim is about a mile in circumference, while the base is surrounded by the tracks of old lava flows. And from the top of the volcano, visitors can see about 8,000 square miles of the surrounding Raton-Clayton volcanic field, of which Capulin is a part (you can also see New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma from the top).

Thanks to the rich soils around the volcano, Capulin Volcano National Monument is home to a thriving ecosystem. The volcano is covered in pine and juniper forest and a variety of shrubs, the latter including chokecherry, which in Spanish is called capulin, hence the name of the volcano. This habitat is home to mule deer, black bears, mountain lions and more than 70 species of birds, including wild turkeys, roadrunners, and hummingbirds.

Another highlight of Capulin Volcano is the two-mile-long paved road that spirals up and around the volcano to its rim, making Capulin one of the most accessible volcanoes in the world. Volcano Road, as it is known, is one of the most remarkable roads in the state, and is in itself an attraction.

No public transport serves the volcano, so it’s up to visitors to make the ascent independently by car (restrictions apply to larger vehicles). So get ready for a memorable spiral ascent, with no shoulder, blind curves, and some sheer drop-offs as you rise up some 1,000 feet to the rim of Capulin.

Related Tags

Volcanoes Geology Biodiversity Roads

Know Before You Go

Capulin Volcano is located at 44 Volcano Road, Capulin, New Mexico, in the far northeast of the state. The national monument is located 34 miles east of Raton and 60 miles west of Clayton, on NM-325 North of US-64. The park is open from dawn to dusk with the exception of the Night Sky Viewing Area. The visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. but the road to the volcano rim closes to vehicular traffic at 4:30 p.m. Always check vehicle restrictions and the current road conditions before your visit. Adverse weather conditions can force the road to close. Bicycles are not allowed on Volcano Road from dawn to 5 p.m., but are permitted afterward. But be careful if you cycle as there are sheer drop-offs and tight turns.

Community Contributors

Added By

Tony Dunnell

Edited By

gretch, smichaelwilson, breaingram, tfeldis...

  • gretch
  • smichaelwilson
  • breaingram
  • tfeldis
  • Darrell Powers

Published

August 19, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/cavo/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm
  • https://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/capulin-volcano-national-monument
  • https://www.britannica.com/place/Capulin-Volcano-National-Monument
  • https://www.newmexico.org/listing/capulin-volcano-national-monument/2548/
  • http://nmnaturalhistory.org/volcanoes/raton-clayton-volcanic-field-capulin-volcano
  • https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/88581/capulin-volcano-national-monument
  • https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/606-capulin-volcano-road-usa.html
Capulin Volcano
Crater Rim Trail
Des Moines, New Mexico
United States
36.782544, -103.972241
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Raton Iridium Layer

Raton, New Mexico

miles away

A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art

Trinidad, Colorado

miles away

Steam Engine 638

Trinidad, Colorado

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Mexico

New Mexico

United States

Places 179
Stories 21

Nearby Places

Raton Iridium Layer

Raton, New Mexico

miles away

A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art

Trinidad, Colorado

miles away

Steam Engine 638

Trinidad, Colorado

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Mexico

New Mexico

United States

Places 179
Stories 21

Related Stories and Lists

14 Precarious Roadways

List

By Jonathan Carey

30 of the World's Most Spectacular Spirals

List

By Kerry Wolfe

Related Places

  • Nature reclaims Pohoiki Rd.

    Pāhoa, Hawaii

    Puna End of the Road

    In 2018, Pohoiki Road was severed by lava flowing from the eruption of Kilauea.

  • A beach on the island with distinctive rock formations.

    Malpe, India

    Thonsepar

    These four small islands contain unique hexagonal rock formations.

  • Approaching the south rim of Easy Chair Crater on the trail..

    Nye County, Nevada

    Easy Chair Crater

    An unusual double cinder cone with a bent oval crater, in the Lunar Crater Volcanic Field.

  • A view of the perfectly round Lac Pavin.

    Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise, France

    Lac Pavin

    This volcanic crater lake is renowned for its perfectly round shape, stunning blue-green waters, and unique geological properties.

  • Looking down the Gorge from the footbridge at its head.

    Tuttle, Idaho

    Malad Gorge

    Some 46,000 years ago, a volcanic eruption led to a flooding event that carved this short canyon with steep vertical walls.

  • Arequipa, Peru

    Añashuayco Quarry

    An outdoor gallery of sculptures chiseled from a unique stone that deemed Arequipa's old town a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • West crater, looking slightly northeast.

    Cleft, Idaho

    Crater Rings

    Two geologically young and nearly circular volcanic subsidence craters, each about a half-mile in diameter, abruptly break the nearly featureless Snake River Plain.

  • This way to Volcano Observatory

    Flemming, Montserrat

    Montserrat Volcano Observatory

    Safely view the Soufrière Hills volcano, which has been erupting since 1995.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.