Bottom of the Capulin Volcano crater, Capulin Volcano National Monument

Length: .3 mile, round trip
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

The Crater Vent Trail is a paved, .3-mile out-and-back trail that leads to the bottom of the Capulin Volcano crater. To reach it, you must take Volcano Road to the top. Keep in mind that the road is only open to vehicles from 8:30 AM to 4 PM, which means you must be done with your hike and back down the volcano by 4 PM. The 1-mile Crater Rim Trail is also located at the top of the volcano, and most people hike both. If that is your plan, allow at least an hour for your trip.

To begin the hike, take the stairs down from the parking lot. If looking at the crater, the stairs are on the right-hand side at the end of the stone retaining wall.

Trailhead for the Crater Vent Trail at Capulin Volcano National Monument

There’s not much to the Crater Vent Trail. It is just a little over a tenth of a mile from the parking lot to the bottom. The thrill is just being inside a volcano—albeit an extinct one—which is probably a unique experience for most people.

Crater Vent Trail at Capulin Volcano National Monument

Wayside exhibit at the bottom of the Capulin Volcano crater, Capulin Volcano National Monument

The hike down is fairly steep, having an average grade of 13% (strenuous hiking is considered to start at 15%). I do not recommend taking kids in a stroller or anything else with wheels. I witnessed a family attempt this with a toddler and a baby in a double stroller, and on their way back up, the dad was pushing an empty stroller, the mom was carrying the baby, and the toddler gave up and plopped himself right down in the middle of the trail before they were finished.

Steep hike back up from the bottom of the Capulin Volcano crater on the Crater Vent Trail, Capulin Volcano National Monument

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