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Junction Cave

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description Junction Cave Overview

Junction Cave is a significant lava tube located in New Mexico's El Malpais National Monument, serving as an accessible site for guided exploration.

help Junction Cave FAQ

How was Junction Cave formed?

It is a lava tube created by flows from the nearby El Calderon Cinder Cone. NPS dates it to about 60,000 years ago and calls it one of the oldest lava tubes in El Malpais National Monument. [NPS Junction Cave](https://www.nps.gov/places/elma-junction-cave.htm)

Can the public enter Junction Cave?

NPS currently lists Junction Cave as closed to the public for natural-resource protection, and the cave entrance is gated. The nearby Junction Bridge Cave is a different short lava feature, so an accessible bridge visit is not entry into Junction Cave. [NPS](https://www.nps.gov/places/elma-junction-cave.htm)

Why is Junction Cave important to scientists?

A 1995 cave study found more cave-adapted species in Junction Cave than in any other cave surveyed at that time. Its dark cracks and rocks support tiny troglobites, including pale mites and insects.

Is Junction Cave the same as Junction Bridge Cave?

No. Junction Bridge Cave is a short lava bridge near the El Calderon trail, while Junction Cave is the gated lava tube beside it. The names are easy to confuse because both are part of El Malpais's volcanic landscape. [NPS caving](https://www.nps.gov/elma/planyourvisit/caving.htm)

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