El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation Area

El Malpais National Monument is a National Monument located in western New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States. The name El Malpais is from the Spanish term Malpaís, meaning badlands, due to the extremely barren and dramatic volcanic field that covers much of the park's area. It is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one of the designated New Mexico Scenic Byways.