description Kilbourne Hole Overview
Kilbourne Hole is a volcanic maar in southern New Mexico, near the Mexican border and west of the Franklin Mountains. It formed through explosive interaction between rising magma and groundwater, producing a broad crater surrounded in places by deposits of fragmented volcanic material. The site is especially important to geologists because its eruptions carried mantle xenoliths, including pieces of peridotite, from depth to the surface, allowing direct study of material from beneath Earth's crust.
help Kilbourne Hole FAQ
What type of volcanic feature is Kilbourne Hole?
Kilbourne Hole is a maar, a broad volcanic crater formed by explosive activity rather than a classic lava cone. It lies in Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico, west of the Franklin Mountains. [New Mexico Tech](https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/tour/landmarks/kilbourne_hole/)
How did Kilbourne Hole form?
Rising basaltic magma encountered groundwater and triggered powerful steam explosions. The eruption produced ring-shaped surge deposits and fragmented volcanic material around the crater. [New Mexico Tech](https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/tour/landmarks/kilbourne_hole/)
How old and how large is Kilbourne Hole?
The Bureau of Land Management gives a broad age estimate of about 24,000 to 100,000 years. It describes the crater as roughly 1.7 miles long, more than a mile across, and hundreds of feet deep. [Bureau of Land Management](https://www.blm.gov/visit/kilbourne-hole-volcanic-crater)
Can I hike at Kilbourne Hole or collect rocks there?
Hiking is listed as an activity at the site, but rock and mineral collection is currently restricted while the area is assessed as part of the Desert Peaks and Organ Mountains National Monument. Visitors should check the Bureau of Land Management rules before removing anything. [Bureau of Land Management](https://www.blm.gov/visit/kilbourne-hole-volcanic-crater)
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