El Malpais National Monument — La Ventana Arch Road Dispersed Camp

Pull off along NM-117 south of Grants and you’re sitting on the edge of one of the most dramatic lava flows in the American Southwest. The ground is high desert scrub — juniper, piñon, scattered boulders — with the lava field stretching west and the sandstone bluffs of Cibola country rising to the east. No developed sites, no fire rings, no signage. You find a flat spot on BLM ground and that’s your camp. Stargazing is exceptional. Fire restrictions apply in summer — always check with BLM Albuquerque Field Office before you light anything.

Access is off NM-117, a paved two-lane. The La Ventana trailhead pullout is roughly mile marker 10. Stay 200 feet from the road and 200 feet from the lava field boundary — NPS land has different rules. High-clearance vehicles can push further west on two-track. Best seasons are spring and fall; summer afternoon thunderstorms roll through fast.

Lava field edge camp, real solitude.