A View from the Top: Capulin Volcano
At 1,400 feet, the dark shadows of clouds laze across the plains in every direction — like countries, or continents — a map you could study all afternoon. For the first time, just maybe, you begin to understand that geological time is on a watch all its own.
When the second hand stirred here 60,000 years ago, a rain of molten ash and lava rose as high as the Eiffel Tower. It fell in an unusually orderly fashion to form a cinder cone volcano. There are others in this volcanic field, but Capulin is nearly flawless.
Capulin Volcano, in the northeast corner of New Mexico, is unmistakable from the interstate — a beacon for road trippers and park enthusiasts. The drive up is a little unnerving for those on the passenger side but once you reach the top, you feel like you have earned the view.
On a clear, sunny day, like this one, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Colorado are at the end of a fingertip. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where the Rockies get their start, is visible as well.
