Capulin Volcano National Monument

The age on the panel is off by a factor of five or six. Studies from the mid-1990s put Capulin's eruption at about 60,000 years ago, and argon-argon dating has since narrowed it to about 54,200, the figure the Park Service gives. The whole eruption, cone and four lava flows, may have taken only weeks to a few years. Capulin is still one of the youngest vents in its field, though Baby Capulin nearby is about 45,000 years old and the field's last eruptions about 37,000.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Capulin Volcano National Monument 5.5 Miles An outstanding example of an extinct volcanic cinder cone, Capulin Volcano was formed as early as 10,000 years ago. In cinder cones, lava pours from cracks in the base rather than over the top. Capulin itself was the escape hatch for gases that blew lava fragments into the air where they solidified and landed red hot on the cone.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Capulin Volcano National Monument — 3.1 mi
  A cinder cone you can drive to the top of, rising more than a thousand feet from the high plains east of Raton, whose lava broke out of its foot rather than its crater.

More markers nearby

• Capulin Volcano National Monument — 1.2 mi
• Sierra Grande — 8.0 mi
• Sierra Grande — 12 mi
• Santa Fe Trail — 25 mi