Capulin Volcano National Monument, NM - Folsom, NM

(Capulin, NM) Hi 82 Lo 57 – Last evening we had a line of thunderstorms come through our area with heavy lightning and thunder. Our power blinked off and on a few times, but otherwise we escaped with only some moderate wind and rain.

When I was planning our route from Colorado Springs to Amarillo, TX (our next destination), I came across a Passport America campground in the tiny town of Capulin, NM. We figured it would be a good place to stop as it’s at about the halfway point. While checking out the campground website I noticed that it’s only three miles from Capulin Volcano National Monument. Little did we know what an unexpected treat this would turn out to be!

We left around 10:30, and on the way out I thought I’d share a couple of photos of the bustling metropolis of Capulin.



There’s about 10 squares blocks to the town, and the only paved road is the main highway (US 64/87). No traffic lights, no gas stations, no restaurants, and one small general store. I’m sure if our RV park was full, its population would exceed the town’s. :)

We headed north out of Capulin on NM Hwy 325 for the short three mile drive to the volcano.






We stopped at the visitor center to take care of our admission (free using our National Park old people’s passes) and watch a short video about the volcanic history of the region. The 8,000 square mile area between Raton and Clayton, NM is called the Raton-Clayton Volcanic field. The volcanic activity in this area started around 9 million years ago, and the Capulin Volcano is one of the younger ones, dating back only 60,000 years.

After watching the video we drove the two-mile road that winds around the volcano to the top, about 1,300 feet above the surrounding area. The total elevation at the top is 8,182 feet. You can clearly see the road on the side of the volcano in this closer view.






The drive up offered some pretty nice views.


We reached the parking lot, which is a little over 300 feet from the summit. The crater is about a mile in circumference, and the floor is 105 feet below the parking lot. Here’s some views of the crater from the parking lot.

From the left…


…the center…


…and the right.


Here’s a close up of the marker at the very bottom, the location of the volcano’s vent, which has long since been covered by lava rocks.


And behind us were some magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.










Here you can see the village of Capulin three miles away. Using our binoculars, we could actually see Tumbleweed tucked among the trees in the RV park. How cool is that!


There’s a one-mile trail that encircles the rim, with a total elevation gain of about 300 feet. We started out to walk it, but when we got around to the other side of the mountain, it got really windy! The combination of the altitude, the steep climb, and the wind, we stopped at a bench on the way and sat and admired the view for a few minutes before returning back down the way we came.






When we got back to the parking lot I decided I just had to hike down to the floor of the crater. It’s only two tenths of a mile, but it’s a very steep 105 foot descent. Rocky lava fields line both sides of the trail.






Here’s the rim as seen from the very bottom of the crater.


Can you see Dee waving at me from the parking lot waaay up there? She’s on the left side of the photo. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)


And here’s me at the bottom, taken by Dee.


The hike back up to the top sure wasn’t as easy as the trip down, but I took it slow and steady. I was winded when I got back to the top, but it actually felt refreshing.
That was certainly a wonderful experience, and to think we’d never even heard of Capulin Volcano until a few days ago! Another one of those experiences in life that would be unlikely if we lived in a sticks and bricks house and just took our regular two-week vacations each year. These surprises along our journey are what make this lifestyle so worthwhile.

We left Capulin Volcano National Monument and continued north on Hwy 325 another eight miles to the small town of Folsom. Folsom is about as close to a ghost town as you can get, but with 70 people still living there. It looks a little like Capulin, only about twice the size. There are some sections of town that are totally deserted, like this store front from years gone by.




And the wonderful old Folsom Hotel, long since abandoned. The sign over the door says it was built in 1880, and is a National Historical Landmark.


We stopped at the Folsom Museum.


It had photo books and documents about the history of Folsom. And also lots of hardware, household goods, and other day-to-day items from throughout the years.






Recognize any of these brands?


I’ve heard of roller skates that clamp on you shoes, I've had a few pair in my youth. But this is the first time I’ve seen ice skates like this. But hey, I was raised in Florida. :)  (Dee's never seen them either, and she's from Indiana.)




After we left Folsom we continued on Hwy 325, which looped around east and then south to connect back onto US 64/87 at Des Moines, NM, which is the nearest place to get gas or food. On the way I took one last photo of Capulin Volcano in the distance to the southwest.


We had lunch at Sierra Grande Restaurant, the only eating place in Des Moines. The food was pretty good. Another 10 miles back west and we arrived back at Capulin. It was a loop of 30 or so miles, and a very nice way to spend a day in Northeast New Mexico. Tomorrow it’s on to the great state of Texas.