El Malpais National Monument, NM

El Malpais National Monument, NM, is a conservation area established in 1987 to protect the surrounding 114 thousand acres of volcanic landscape.  The landscape includes lava tubes, lava flows, cinder cones, pressure ridges and volcanic caves.  We took the opportunity to explore a couple the unique lava tubes and caves.  With headlamps, flashlights and required permits we scrambled down and into Big Skylight Cave, Four Windows Cave and Big Ice Cave.  While in the monument we also visited and hiked the El Calderon, La Ventana Natural Arch and The Narrows.  Here are a few images from along the way: