Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano

Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano is a privately run roadside attraction at the base of Bandera Crater, built around a collapsed lava tube where a permanent floor of green-tinted ice survives year-round despite the desert heat above it. This is a family-owned operation dating to the early 1900s, predating El Malpais National Monument next door by about 80 years, though it sits right in the middle of the same lava field and makes an easy stop.

What to Do

This site offers 3 main attractions: the ice cave, the Bandera Crater rim trail, and a small trading post and museum. You’ll encounter the trading post first, it has a small collection of native pottery found on site, along with a variety of local crafts and souvenirs.

Once outside, you’ll find a well-maintained trail through piñon-juniper woodland to a wooden viewing platform above the ice cave. The ice is a wonder of nature, cold air sinks into the collapsed tube and gets trapped, creating a floor of ice that has persisted for over 3000 years.

There is a connected trail up the rim of Bandera Crater, a 1,000-year-old cinder cone that’s the largest in the Zuni-Bandera volcanic field. Unlike a typical volcano, the lava burst out of the side of the mountain, flowing for up to 23 miles south of the volcano. The top of the trail provides a good overlook of the surrounding lava flows.

As you explore the area, you’ll encounter unique geological formations, diverse plant life, and ruins of pueblo structures built from volcanic rock. There really is a lot to see in this small area.

How Much Time to Spend

The ice cave loop alone takes 30 to 45 minutes. Add the Bandera Crater rim trail and plan on 90 minutes total. It’s an easy midday stop, not something you need to plan a whole day for.

Getting There

The site is on NM 53, part of the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway, about 25 miles southwest of Grants via I-40 Exit 81. It’s clearly signed and easy to find, with a paved parking lot at the entrance. Confirm current hours and pricing before you go, since it’s independently operated and can change without NPS oversight.

Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano offer an easy, compact way to experience the volcanic landscape of western New Mexico. For some, the concentrated sights may even be better than touring El Malpais proper!