Driving-distance destinations: Capulin Volcano
Capulin Volcano, N.M.
Many outdoors tourist destinations seem to be pretty far from where we live: Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Tetons, and so forth. But there’s a few places that are within an easy drive from Oklahoma City and could make for an interesting long weekend experience.
So here’s my first suggestion: Check out Capulin Volcano National Monument.
Just west of Clayton, N.M., the monument itself is just one of many ancient volcanic peaks that dot northeastern New Mexico.
As you’re leaving the Oklahoma Panhandle, one of the first signs of the volcanic history of this area is just north of Clayton. Rabbit Ear Mountain towers above the otherwise flat landscape that surrounds it, but it’s a taste of what’s to come further west. Within an hour, you’re driving in an area with large, grass-and-tree covered hills that belie what this place once was.
Once thing you notice right off: There’s no farms out here. Instead, there’s lots of ranch land. But the ground is simply too hard to plow. Black rocks pepper the ground, giving further hints of the area’s once violent volcanic past.
The hills and small mountains in the area around Capulin were all once highly active volcanoes. From ground level, it’s harder to tell. But atop one of these mountains you can see the craters and ancient lava flows that most geologists estimate are more than 60,000 years old.
The best vantage point of Capulin Volcano. At 8,182 feet above sea level, it’s one of the highest points in the area. A two-mile paved road allows motorists to drive to the top, see the views and hike around the crater rim (there’s a 1-mile trial around the rim). The entry fee to drive to the rim is $5 per vehicle and lasts a day. At the base of the mountain, there’s a visitor’s center with more information about the volcano and its history.
The thing that intrigued me about Capulin is you just don’t think of New Mexico being a place where you’d find volcanoes. Washington state, Hawaii and Alaska come to mind. But not New Mexico, and certainly not this close to Oklahoma. I think that’s what makes it so intriguing to me, and any other person with an interest in science. For kids who have the science bug, I can’t think of a closer place that would stir the imagination more than Capulin.
After checking that out, you can drive back east into Oklahoma, then head north to Kenton. From there, you can camp at Black Mesa State park, hike up to Black Mesa and enjoy the views of the state’s highest point.
Capulin also makes a nice side trip for people heading into ski country.
One last note: A lot of the things I write about here include some very vigorous outings, and I know not everyone is up for that. This, however, is a cool outdoor destination that can be enjoyed by just about anyone, regardless of their fitness level or outdoor acumen.
It’s about six to seven hours to get to Capulin, a pretty easy drive over a long weekend. If you go in the fall or winter, expect mountain winter conditions.
Need some more information about it? Check out the National Park Service’s Web site here: http://www.nps.gov/cavo/index.htm
Bob Doucette
bdoucette@opubco.com
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