Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano are located on the North American Continental Divide, but the site is not part of a national or state park. The site has been owned and operated as a tourist attraction by the David Candelaria family for almost 80 years. Join us as we explore this enchanting land of fire and ice.
Where is it?
Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano are located approximately 26 miles south of Grants, New Mexico off of Highway 53. The physical address is 12000 Ice Caves Road, Grants, New Mexico.
Features of the site include:
- Trading Post with gift shop, snacks, drinks, and historical artifacts
- Picnic area
- Tent camping area – fee required
- Overnight RV parking allowed with no services – fee required
- Hiking trails to the ice cave and the volcano
- Site is open from March through October
- Admission fee required
Access the website here.
Visiting Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano
Ice Caves Trading Post, located next to the parking lot, is the first stop in order to pay admission fees and borrow a trail guide. While there, visitors can view historic photos as well as some of the ancient artifacts that have been found on the site. The trading post also sells wonderful pottery, rugs, and jewelry crafted by local tribal members.
When exiting the trading post, a right-hand turn will take visitors to the trail to the ice cave, and a left will take them to the trail to the volcano. Excited about a hike we hit the level trail, which is roughly a half mile out and back, to see our first ice cave.
Ice Cave Trail
Ice Cave Trail features the ruins of an ancient pueblo where artifacts like the ones shown above were found. Visitors will also be able to see parts of the Bandera lava tube. Lava tubes form where the surface lava hardens but molten lava still continues to flow underneath. The Bandera lava tube is 17.5 miles long, and some believe it is the longest one in North America. Much of the tube has now collapsed, but a few caves remain. Ice Cave is one of them.
Amid a lot of lava, visitors to Ice Cave will see beautiful mosses and lichens. The alpine moss that grows near the cave’s entrance is an unusual find so far south.
A stairway with 72 steps leads down to a small viewing platform at the cave’s entrance. Visitors cannot enter the cave which keeps a temperature that never rises above 31 degrees (F). As water seeps into the cave the floor of ice thickens, though thickening depends on rain and snowfall. Ice has been forming in the cave for at least 3,400 years.
Incredibly, the ice does not seem to be affected by climate change and is estimated to be 18-20 feet thick today. A type of algae causes the green tint.
Everyone from ancient Indians to the saloon owner, Mr. Mirabal, who was David Candelaria’s father-in-law, harvested ice from the cave. Fortunately, ice harvesting ceased in 1946 when Candelaria turned the site into a tourist attraction.
Bandera Volcano Trail
After returning from the ice cave, we took off from the trading post to hike to the crater of the volcano. The one mile out and back trail was fairly easy with a 150-200-foot elevation gain and gorgeous views.
Ever heard of a tree hole? We hadn’t until we came across one on this trail. A tree hole is formed when molten lava surrounds a tree, then the tree burns due to the extreme heat of the lava. When the lava eventually cools, a hole is left where the tree once stood.
Bandera, which is a cinder cone, is the largest of 29 volcanoes in the west central area of New Mexico, usually known as the Zuni-Bandera volcanic field but also sometimes known as the Malpais (Mal-pie-EEs) volcanic field. Neighboring volcanoes have interesting names, such as Rendija (Crack), Lost Woman, Americana, and Comadre (Godmother), just to name a few. Bandera means flag in Spanish.
Bandera erupted about 10,000 years ago, creating a 23-mile-long lava flow. The eruption blew out the side of Bandera resulting in a crater that is approximately 1,400 wide and 800 feet deep.
Erosion from above is causing rock and cinders to fill the bottom of the crater. In an effort to keep this from happening faster than it should, visitors cannot venture past the viewing platform which sits about 130 feet below the rim. Bandera Volcano’s elevation is 8,367 feet at the rim.
A great interactive map showing the area’s volcanoes can be found here.
Final Thoughts
We highly recommend a stop at Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano for those traveling in New Mexico. The site is located about half-way between two national monuments, El Malpais and El Morro, and is an easy drive from I-40. Combining all three sites makes for a perfect one or two-day road trip with accommodations in the cities of Grants or Gallup.
Thank you so much for coming along on our fire and ice adventure! Our parting shot is from Bandera Volcano Trail and is a peek through the trees at a couple of the other neighboring volcanoes.
Looking for more road trip inspiration? Try these great destinations:
Happy, safe travels, y’all!
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) Our written content and photos are copyrighted and may not be published without our permission.
©2023
What an interesting stop. So glad someone is preserving it while making access possible. The cave is definitely strange with that level of ice in the bottom. Lava tubes and caldera are always interesting to see, as long as the volcano is extinct. What would the elevation of this place be at Kellye? Allan
Interesting post! Never had heard of an ice cave. Looks like a nice place to be in this heat!!
Thank you, Ellen! It was freezing cold standing on that platform at the entrance to the ice cave.
Thank you, Allan. Yes, thankfully, the volcano(es) is/are extinct. I would guess the elevation is somewhere between 7,000 – 8,000 feet.
Amazing photos Kellye and interesting history. I wonder how the Candelarias came to own it.
Thank you, Alison! The Candelarias inherited it from his wife’s father, Mr. Mirabal, but I don’t know how Mr. Mirabal got it. A lot of the property in New Mexico was obtained by families who had homes and farms there when Spain still owned the land. Then when Mexico turned it over to the US there was a provision that the people could keep their land. It could’ve been that scenario, but I’m not sure. Thank you for reading!
Thanks for the info Kellye, I imagine their story would be interesting to read if anyone wrote a book about them
We’ve done quite a few US road trips over the years and I’m always looking for new suggestions. So I’ll be saving this one. XXX
Thanks so much, Marie! It’s a good one.
How did we miss this when planning our NM itinerary?! We went to El Malpais and to Grants so must have been very close, yet I never heard of it 🙁 We would have really enjoyed seeing both the cave and the volcano crater, but at least I’ve now seen them through your eyes 🙂
Thank you, Sarah! It was a perfect road trip stop, and I’m sorry you didn’t get to see it when you were there. Glad we could show it to you though.
Wow!
I have never heard of this place, I would love to see it in person. Great photos, guys! 😎😊
Thanks so much, John! It’s a great road trip stop, so I hope you get to visit someday.
Me too. 😎🤙🏻
Very cool looking place! I don’t know if I’d want to eat any algae covered ice though lol.
Thanks for checking out the post, Theresa! No algae covered ice for us either.
What a fascinating post and how interesting to be able to inspect a cave with ice at its base. The Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano would make a lovely trip if ever we were in the vicinity.
Thank you, Marion. The ice cave was definitely a first for us.
Tree holes are new to me but remind of pouring melted paraffin over ice cubes in a milk carton to make candles with holes in them
Thank you for reading, Geoff. Now I need to try to make ice cube candles!
Howdy. Relatives of mine live in NM. I’m going to tell them about these sights, in case they’ve never been to them.
Thank you for checking out the post! We hope your relatives (and you) get to see all the wonderful sights New Mexico has to offer.
Thanks for sharing this idea. And I saw this cave with this ice . Anita
Thank you for another excellent post. This is yet another place I’ve never heard of. Both places are so interesting – and within walking distance of each other! I’ve never seen an ice cave. Now I’ve seen a volcano (in Hawaii), but it was very far in the distance. I’m glad this area is being preserved.
Thank you, Betty. There are lots of campgrounds in the vicinity if you guys ever want to head that way. It’s an interesting area.
Great post! The ice cave is really fascinating since it’s open to the air and yet maintains a constant temperature. Just curious…long ago when they harvested ice, didn’t it make people sick due to the algae content? Looks like an amazing place to visit. Thanks for sharing.
As usual, your trip looks fascinating!!!
Thank you, Neal. It was an interesting stop for sure.
I LOVE that Ice Cave Kellye! I have never heard of such a thing, awesome!!!! That dead tree was so unique, thank you for sharing this!
Thank you, Diane! It was definitely an interesting place to visit.
How fascinating to see these gems in New Mexico! Especially when I had the impression that much of the state was mere desert, it’s surprising to see so much greenery, let alone ICE, here! The combo of ice and volcano is very similar to Iceland’s topography, although it’s a very-different environment over there! Glad you got to visit a unique site in New Mexico!
Thanks so much for reading the post, Rebecca!
This is so fascinating! Fire and ice are such an unexpected combo. I’m learning so much about out west from you.
Thank you, Lyssy! Your sweet comment made my day.
As usual, you give me more reason to venture back out!
Aww, thank you, Ray! Surely you could arrange a book signing event somewhere in New Mexico!!😉
Love the mix of fire and ice! That ice in the cave is so interesting and I really love the minty green color of it. I had never heard of tree holes- amazing the moments in time that nature remembers. 🙂 Another great chapter in this roadtrip story!
Thank you, Meg! It was a wonderful place to visit.
Very interesting to see the ice cave. I would never have guessed there was once a tree where the tree hole is.
Thank you for reading our post! We hadn’t heard of a tree hole before then either. Nature is amazing!
Fascinating place again guys. Volcanos are such wonderful places, reminding us just how small the human race is in terms of “real” history
Thank you Phil & Michaela! You are so right.
Wow, there’s so much here that I’ve never seen before! The ice cave with its natural colours, the tree hole (how interesting) and the Bandera crater. It looks like an area where there could be quite a bit of “activity” underground …
Thank you! New Mexico is definitely a land of enchantment.
It’s incredible to hear just how long the Bandera lava tube is. I never would have thought that there would be an ice cave in New Mexico. Looks like a neat place to explore. Thanks for sharing. Linda
Thank you, Linda! New Mexico is a state with a lot of surprises.
Wow! This was such a great adventure! Thank you for sharing it with us! I learned a lot reading about your trip, and the photographs are absolutely amazing! 🙂
Thank you very much Linda! It was a great adventure.
Wonderful post as always, Kellye! Enjoyed it!
Thank you so much, Jyothi!
What an interesting place – that dead tree is crazy and the length of the lava tube had me surprised as well.
Thank you for reading, Hannah!
I have never seem anything quite like this. Nature’s wonders in all their glories. Ice that seems to be unaffected by climate change, how encouraging. Love the volcano names.
Thank you, Leighton! Yes, there are some interesting names in New Mexico.
This is so interesting!! The ice caves amaze me and the fact that they can withstand the temperatures is amazing. I love the pottery and stone. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Jessica!
That dead tree is cool!
Thank you, Sharon!
I loved this. I found the ice, with its green tinge, fascinating.
Thank you, Brenda. It was an interesting stop.
Fire and Ice. Nice history and details on the sites. Adding to our travel list. Thank you.
Thank you, Brad! I think you will enjoy the visit.
Sounds like it could be a cool place to visit in the summer, literally.
Thank you, Sharon. It is definitely a cool place, but so is Assateague Island!
What a really interesting place to visit. Those poor trees when they burned from the lava.
It was definitely a different place to visit. I thought the tree holes were interesting.
Really fascinating.
Incredible place of two worlds! I bet there’s some magical energy! I hope you were gifted!!
Thank you! We didn’t notice any magical energy, but we always feel gifted and blessed.