Cebolla Wilderness

Cebolla Wilderness, part of El Malpais National Conservation Area, lies just across State Highway 117 from the West Malpais Wilderness but offers easier traveling than the ominously raw volcanic terrain of the badlands. Cebolla shares its eastern border with the Acoma Indian Reservation; avoid crossing that border without first checking with the reservation manager. Primitive two-track trails provide effortless hiking up Cebolla Canyon, Sand Canyon, and Armijo Canyon, all of which feature sandstone bluffs and sandy side washes beneath high mesas, ranging in elevation from about 7,000 to 8,350 feet. Look for evidence of past habitation, from ancient petroglyphs to the ruins of Depression-era homesteads. La Ventana Natural Arch, eroded from sandstone laid down when dinosaurs ruled this territory, anchors the northern portion of what is now primarily forested rimrock. Vertical escarpments provide excellent nesting habitat for golden eagles, prairie falcons, red-tailed hawks, and great horned owls. Vegetation is dominated by juniper and piñon, with ponderosa pine on north-facing slopes. Of the trails that give access, La Ventana Arch Trail extends only a few hundred feet to a good viewpoint; the Narrows Rim Trail runs about 3.5 miles along the rim of the mesa with excellent views of lava flows, ending at a viewpoint of La Ventana Arch; the Lobo Canyon Trail leads to a petroglyph and is about 0.75 miles round trip; and Homestead Canyon Trail and Armijo Canyon Trail are both about 3.75 miles long. Carry plenty of water — you won't find any here. The Wilderness is in New Mexico, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and was designated in 1987.