Crater Vent Trail

The Crater Vent Trail descends into the bottom of Capulin Volcano, offering visitors the rare and remarkable experience of standing inside the vent of an actual cinder cone volcano in a landscape that looks as though it erupted within living memory. A short path from the crater rim loops down into the central vent depression, where the ground is composed of loose reddish-brown cinders and volcanic bombs ejected during the eruption approximately 800 years ago. The crater interior is sheltered from wind, creating a microclimate noticeably warmer and calmer than the exposed rim above. Standing at the base of the crater walls and looking up provides an intimate sense of the scale and violence of the volcanic event that formed this feature. Interpretive panels describe the lava tube system that underlies much of the surrounding landscape, some of which can be explored in other areas of the volcanic field. The trail surface is soft cinder that can be slippery for descent, so take care with footing especially on the return climb. Despite its brevity, the Crater Vent Trail ranks among the most memorable short walks in the Southwest, delivering a genuinely geological experience inaccessible at most volcanic sites. Most visitors combine this walk with the Crater Rim Trail for a complete survey of the monument.