Cibola County: Volcanic Landscapes, Culture and Route 66

Cibola County combines impressive volcanic landscapes with vibrant Acoma culture and the history of Route 66. This creates a versatile mix for planning your trip: you can choose short routes at volcanic sites, plan longer hikes, include exhibitions and historical topics in your itinerary, or take a guided tour of Acoma Sky City Pueblo. When choosing your vacation rental or holiday home, it is worth deciding on your personal focus early on: nature experiences, culture and Route 66 history lead to different daily itineraries.

Volcanic Landscapes and Hiking Trails

El Malpais National Monument is located within Cibola County and is surrounded by the 263,000-acre El Malpais National Conservation Area. The landscape can be explored on trails of varying lengths. Around Hoya de Cibola, a hike of approximately two miles is possible. The Inscription Rock Trail at El Morro is 0.75 miles, or 1.2 kilometers, long and takes approximately 45 minutes. For a longer route, the 8-mile, or 12.8-kilometer, Narrows Rim Trail is an option; its trailhead is located near the turnoff.

Shorter outings are also part of the nature experience. The trail to Bandera Volcano is just under half a mile long, and the round trip takes approximately 40 minutes. A short 0.5-mile hiking trail also begins near the parking area at the El Malpais Visitor Center. The Visitor Center offers assistance from rangers and exhibitions about northwestern New Mexico. Lava Bomb Cave features a skylight that formed when a lava bomb fell from a nearby volcanic vent into a lava tube. Ice Cave is located in a collapsed lava channel; there, the temperature does not rise above 31 °F year-round, while natural layers of ice have been forming for more than 3,400 years.

Acoma Culture and Regional History

Acoma Sky City Pueblo offers guided tours and is therefore an important cultural highlight of your trip. The Haak'u Museum presents Acoma history, creativity and culture. At Market Plaza, Acoma artists display, create and share living traditions. The Acoma Visitors Center is located at the foot of Acoma Sky City. It also features a craft store and a café serving local food. This makes it possible to combine a cultural program with insights into arts and crafts and regional cuisine.

Other museums focus on different chapters of the past. The Western New Mexico Airways Heritage Museum explores the history of early air travel through restored buildings, aviation artifacts and the route of the original airway beacons. The Route 66 Vintage Museum displays historic artwork, postcards, photographs and other antiques that recall the heyday of Route 66. Los Portales is a shrine for religious worship in the forests of Cibola County near Seboyeta.

Choosing Accommodation to Match Your Itinerary

For a trip focused on nature and culture, the location of your vacation rental can support your preferred pace. Those who prefer longer hikes should include the 8-mile Narrows Rim Trail in their personal itinerary. For culture enthusiasts, Acoma Sky City, the museums and Market Plaza offer distinct highlights. Most of Route 66 remains drivable in Cibola County and complements the natural and cultural destinations with a historic road route.

More Places to Include in Your Trip Planning

For further orientation within the selection of destinations, you can also look at Grants, Mesita and Pueblo Of Acoma. If you would also like to compare other destinations, you can find Luna, Taos, Roosevelt, Otero County and Doña Ana.

For the broader travel overview: New Mexico.