Denii

Someone mentioned a huge volcanic crater you can go into the middle of... in New Mexico.
Does anyone have any idea what and where this is?
I hope I'm not being to vague on the description.
"sorry"
Denise

USNR

Perhaps you are referring to the Meteor Crater. It is east of Flagstaff, AZ, and just a mile or so south of I-40. It was created by the impact of a meteor about the size of an automobile striking the earth thousands of years ago. It is at least a mile across and many hundreds of feet deep.

TheWeasel

I don't think they're talking about the meteor crater in AZ. You can't walk out into the middle of that one.

There are a number of volcanic craters in New Mexico - do a google search and you'll find them. Unfortunately, it's about impossible to figure out which one you're referring to with that vague of a description.

Denii

Thats what I thought with the description,figured it was a long shot and your right it's not Meteor Crater, because I've been to that already.
But thanks anyway.
I thought maybe it was a big attraction out that way and well known to anyone who might be from that area or who had visited it.
I'll keep looking

janeq

Perhaps they were referring to El Malpais National Monument? It is about an hour west of Albuquerque. (You can get description on the National Park Service website). I've done hiking there--- there are remnants of old lava flows and caves, but I don't recall it being a crater like the ones in Hawaii.

TheWeasel

Just by looking at Google, New Mexico is full of volcanic features. Hopefully denii can remember more details, or someone familiar with New Mexico can provide some more ideas.

martym

Perhaps you mean Valles Caldera National Preserve in the Jemez mountins west of Santa Fe? http://www.vallescaldera.gov/

KE1TH

Capulin Volcano National Monument in northeast New Mexico is a conical shaped dormant/extinct volcano. You can drive your car up the slope to the rim and look down into the middle. I'm not sure if you are allowed to hike into the middle. It is a smallish volcano, only several hundred yards across at the top.

http://www.nps.gov/cavo/

Keith

sharrin

Myson was at Capulin Volcano National Monument just last Friday. He hiked into the crater.

On the link KE1TH gave you, if you click on the in depth on the right side, it takes to a page that has information. On the left side click on Geology. When that page comes up, click on Walk into a Volcano. It gives you information about the hiking trails.

daveabq

Between albuquerque and Santa Fe in the Jemes mtns is the Valles Caldera (or Valles crater). Here is a US government web site detailing the area ... http://www.vallescaldera.gov/ .

chelseaM

Well, at least we dodged another space bullet in the form of the recent asteroid that was closest to the West Coast.
I am always so thankful that they tell us after it's happened rather than before. To think that I might have gone and spent all my remaining money on a trip and might have survived the impact, BROKE.

daveabq

Here is a University of North Dakota experts description of the Jemez Mtns. ... http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_i...ica/jemez.html

Denii

I want to say "thanks" to everyone for trying to help me figure out what and where this place was.
My husband works with a few people who have been there and
I figured I'd share with you what it was. The name of the place is Valle Grande, and it is just North of Los Alamos.
Is this the same place anyone mentioned already?
Thanks again
Denise

martym

Yes, both daveabq and I gave you websites on Valle Grande. Here's info from Wikipedia--Valle Grande, known to geologists as the Valles Caldera and the Jemez Caldera, is a scenic area in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico in the United States. It is the south-east part of what remains of a very large volcano, or supervolcano, which erupted in ancient times and helped shape the Jemez Mountains.

peterboy

We drove through this caldera on the way from Chaco Canyon to Jemez Springs. Honestly, it is so large that, unless I already knew that it was there, I wouldn't have known that I was driving through a caldera. Of course the presence of hot springs in the area was a bit of a tip off. The caldera is like a large valley with mountains (remains of the volcano) ringing it.

Coincidentally, we'll be visiting another caldera this September...Yellowstone.

seniormsuedu

Just so you won't be caught being a tourist, Jemez is pronounced HAY-miss.

The caldera was owned by a rancher who recently donated it to all of us.

Nice guy.