Capulin Volcano National Monument in Des Moines, New Mexico protects and interprets an extinct cinder cone volcano and is part of the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field. A paved road spirals gradually around the volcano and visitors can drive up to a parking lot at the rim of the extinct volcano. Hiking trails circle the rim as well as lead down into the mouth of the volcano. The visitor center features exhibits about the volcano and the area’s geology, natural and cultural history, and offers educational programs about volcanoes. There is also a video presentation about the volcano. The name capulin comes from a type of choke cherry, Prunus virginiana, that is native to southern North America.
