Editor’s Note: Due to the upcoming prescribed fire the week of May 29 in the El Calderon area, El Malpais National Monument has decided to cancel the Bat Outflight Guided Hikes for next weekend, June 2 & 3. Bat Outflights will continue on June 9 and 10.
GRANTS, NM – Join a park ranger on a guided hike to see bats emerge from the Bat Cave. To kick off Memorial Day weekend, bat outflight hikes will be offered three nights in a row. Join us Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night, May 26, 27, & 28, to welcome the bats back for the summer. Memorial Day weekend hikes will begin at 7:30 pm each evening. Hikes meet at the El Calderon Parking Area off NM Highway 53, about 20 miles south of Grants.
Bat Outflight hikes will continue Friday and Saturday evenings throughout June. June hikes will begin around 45 minutes prior to sunset. Start times may vary slightly from week to week as the sunset time changes. Please visit our website, social media, or call us at 505876-2783 to check specific hike start times each week. Hikes are weather dependent.
June Guided Bat Outflights June 2 & 3 June 9 & 10 June 16 & 17 June 23 & 24 June 30 & July 1
This program includes hiking an easy, 2-mile round-trip trail that is graveled and wide in most spots but does get narrow as it follows a deep drop off near a lava tube cave. Please bring plenty of water, snacks, and a source of light that is not a phone. It will be dark when returning to the parking area. Wear layered clothing as weather can change unpredictably, especially after the sun goes down. Sturdy shoes are recommended.
For more information, contact the El Malpais Visitor Center at 505-876-2783 or visit www.nps.gov/elma. Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/elmalpaisnps.
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s more than 400 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.