Zuni-Acoma Trail

The Zuni-Acoma Trail is the great traverse of El Malpais — a 7.5-mile (12 km) one-way hike across four distinct lava flows, from the eastern trailhead on Highway 117 to the western trailhead on Highway 53. It is an ancient route. The Zuni and Acoma peoples used it as a trading corridor for centuries before any European reached the region, and the original rock cairns marking the route are still there.

The hike is hard. The lava is sharp, the footing uneven, and there is essentially no shade for the whole crossing. Carry at least four litres of water per person, wear boots with solid soles, and arrange a car shuttle before you start — there is no shortcut back if you change your mind in the middle. Allow six to eight hours and start at dawn. In summer the rock can reach 60°C; the trail is best tackled in spring or autumn.

things to do sight
A story
This was a working trade route for at least a thousand years. The Acoma and Zuni peoples crossed back and forth across the lava regularly, trading turquoise, salt, parrot feathers and pottery. The rock cairns that mark the path were piled by generations of travellers; the same ankle-snapping basalt that gives you grief was, for them, an ordinary commute.