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Volcanoes in New Mexico

9 volcanoes in New Mexico with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Cibola County has the most (4). The darkest skies are at Horseshoe Crater (Bortle 1).

Top volcanoes

Mount TaylorVolcano
Mount TaylorCibola County
Carrizozo MalpaisVolcano
Carrizozo MalpaisLincoln County
Volcano
El CalderonCibola County
Volcano
Horseshoe CraterColfax County
Volcano
Lost Woman CraterCibola County
Volcano
Maxson CraterMora County
Volcano
Valles CalderaSandoval County
Volcano
Wissmath CratersTaos County
Volcano
Bandera CraterCibola County

Volcanoes by county

Map

How to photograph volcanoes

Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.

  • Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
  • Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
  • Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
  • Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.

Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.