ZUNI MOUNTAINS As winter cave closures take effect at El Malpais National Monument, visitors are also facing a much bigger change at one of the park’s most popular trailheads.
The National Park Service has closed the El Calderon Trail and its parking area for a major construction project that began August 11, 2025, and is expected to continue through late May 2026. During the closure, NPS Road 100 will remain open only to local traffic accessing private property, and the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) will stay open solely for CDT thru-hikers passing through the area.
The work at El Calderon is designed to expand access while improving safety. When complete, the project will create the only Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) accessible trail within El Malpais National Monument.
Making Lava Tubes More Accessible
Lava tubes are one of El Malpais’ signature features, but right now many visitors never get to experience them up close. Reaching the Big Tubes area requires driving down a dirt road and hiking several miles over rough, uneven lava rock — conditions that can be difficult or impossible for some visitors because of time, ability, or other constraints.
El Calderon has long been the more approachable option. The trail passes several lava tube cave and collapse features and is easier for most people to reach from the highway. The current construction aims to build on that strength.
According to the National Park Service, the first 0.75 miles of the El Calderon Trail — from the parking lot to the Bat Cave — will be resurfaced and widened to meet ABA accessibility standards. The project also calls for an ABA-accessible ramp that will descend into the lava tube trench next to the El Calderon parking area.
That ramp will extend into Junction Bridge Cave and end at a viewing platform inside the lava tube, allowing visitors of all ages and abilities to safely experience the inside of a lava tube cave for the first time at El Malpais. Park staff say the new setup will make it much easier for school groups to explore the monument’s geology while staying on a safe, managed path.
Safety Upgrades at Double Sinks and Bat Cave
Beyond accessibility, the work includes safety enhancements along the early stretch of trail. New railings will be installed at Double Sinks, a well-known collapse feature along the route. Bench seating will also be added near the Bat Cave.
Those benches are intended to give visitors a more comfortable place to wait for the emergence of Mexican free-tailed bats during summer “bat outflight” evenings, and to make it safer to navigate the trail in the dark following bat programs and astronomy events.
However, the National Park Service notes there will be no bat viewing at El Calderon during construction. The final Bat Outflight Guided Hikes for the 2025 summer season have already concluded, and access to the Bat Cave area is closed along with the rest of the trail and parking lot.
Seasonal Cave Closures for Hibernating Bats
In addition to the construction closure, all lava tube caves in El Malpais are under their regular winter closure from November 1 through April 30. That seasonal shutdown happens every year to protect hibernating bat populations that depend on the caves.
The combination of the winter cave closure and the El Calderon construction means that, for now, visitors will not be able to enter or view lava tube caves in the El Calderon area.
Other options while El Calderon is closed While the El Calderon area is off-limits, the monument and surrounding region still offer several alternatives for hikers and sightseers:
• The Zuni-Acoma Trail, located about four miles east of El Calderon along Highway 53, remains open from sunrise to sunset for hiking. Restrooms at that trailhead will also stay open.
• Other hiking trails and scenic stops throughout El Malpais remain open, particularly along Highway 117.
• Nearby El Morro National Monument continues to welcome visitors interested in regional history, petroglyphs, and additional hiking opportunities.
The National Park Service says it looks forward to completing the El Calderon Trail project in 2026 and reopening the area with expanded access for people of all abilities.
For questions about the El Calderon closure or current conditions at El Malpais National Monument, visitors can call the El Malpais visitor center at 505876-2783.