By Geoff Goins
Driving across the plains from West Texas to New Mexico, you hardly expect to see a volcanic cinder cone looming over the horizon. As you drive closer, you start seeing other peaks and wonder what's going on in northeastern New Mexico. This is the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field (RCVF) of which Capulin Volcano is only one of over 120 volcanoes.
The RCVF covers nearly 8,000 square miles and almost 9.6 million years in time.
The largest volcano is the impressive and aptly named Sierra Grande. However, it is not the tallest. That prize goes to Laughlin Peak southwest of Sierra Grande at 8,818 feet.
So why does Capulin Volcano stand out among them and has the National Monument designation? That comes down to the nearly perfectly preserved cinder cone and the fact that Capulin was unclaimed as part of a homestead.
Since they first migrated here, Capulin was an easy landmark for indigenous peoples in this part of the Southwest. Evidence of early man like the famous Folsom point, teepee rings, and pottery sherds litter the plains all around.
Large herds of animals, forested mountains, and trade with other tribes are some of the features that brought these people to the Hi-Lo country of northeast NM.
First recognized by settlers along the Santa Fe Trail during westward expansion, its beautiful near perfect cone shape inspired them to have it removed from the patent office for land available to settle in 1891. By the early 1900s, people from all over were coming to Capulin to see and possibly scramble up the volcano.
At the same time, Woodrow Wilson was trying to get a reluctant Congress to enact a National Park Service to take care of America's new National Parks. Wilson used the 1906 Antiquities Act to set aside existing federal lands to proclaim them National Monuments. Capulin was one of them.
With Wilson proclaiming 13 new National Monuments, and President Roosevelt proclaiming 18, Congress finally got together and signed into law the National Park Service just over two weeks after Capulin Volcano had been named a National Monument.
Today, visitors can drive to the top of the volcano thanks to Homer Farr. When Farr took over from Jessie Foot-Jack, the National Park Service's first female caretaker, he quickly set about arguing with Congress about the need for a road to the top.
Congress finally gave him funds to build a trail in 1924, but Homer was set on a road.
By Christmas Day in 1925, the "trail" was complete enough for Homer Farr to drive his
1923 Dodge to the top of the volcano.
Now, over 80,000 visitors a year make that same drive to see the spectacular views, walk the rim trail, and see the stunning remnants of this extinct cinder cone volcano.
For many, Capulin Volcano is a rest stop as they cross the plains and head into New Mexico or on to Colorado. This year Capulin has many special events and activities that might entice you to stop and stay in the area longer.
Stop by Capulin Volcano as you pass through or plan a whole weekend in this amazing part of New Mexico and see why northeast NM is the chosen home of so many.
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