Near Grants in Cibola County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano

The Land of Fire & Ice

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2016

1. Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

The Bandera Volcano rose up in volcanic fury some 10,000 years ago. The crater is approx. 1400 feet across and 800 feet deep. Bandera is one of the finest examples of an erupted volcano in the country, and one of the most accessible. An ancient lava trail leads you to a collapsed lava tube. Inside the Ice Cave the temperature never rises above 31° F. Here, the natural layers of perpetual ice glistens blue-green in the reflected rays of sunlight.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features.

Location. 34° 59.601′ N, 108° 4.81′ W. Marker is near Grants, New Mexico, in Cibola County. Marker is on Ice Cave Road, 0.6 miles south of Ice Caves Road (State Highway 53), on the right when traveling south. Marker is located in front of the Ice Caves Visitor Center and Gift Shop. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12000 Ice Cave Road, Grants NM 87020, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Also see . . .
1. Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano. Located in a section of Bandera’s collapsed lava tube, the perpetual Ice Cave's temperature never rises above 31º F. The

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natural layers of ice have been forming for over 3,400 years. The perpetual Ice Cave is a natural phenomenon made possible by a combination of physical factors forming a natural ice box; a 20 foot thick mass of ice accumulating in a well insulated cave of porous lava and shaped just right to trap cold air. (Submitted on January 7, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Bandera Volcano Ice Cave (Wikipedia). The lava tube was formed during the Bandera Crater eruption sometime between 9,500 and 10,900 years ago, during one of the many basaltic eruptions in the Zuni-Bandera volcanic field over the past million years. The crater's cinder cone is 900-feet high reaching 8,309 feet above sea level. (Submitted on January 7, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano Marker (<i>side 2</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2016

2. Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano Marker (side 2)

Scenic Route 53,
The Ancient Way
Points of Interest

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2016

3. Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano Marker

(looking south along Ice Cave Road)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2016

4. Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano Marker (side 2)

(looking north along Ice Cave Road)

Bandera Volcano image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2016

5. Bandera Volcano

Collapsed Lava Tube image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2016

6. Collapsed Lava Tube

Ice Cave Entrance image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2016

7. Ice Cave Entrance

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2016

8. Ice Cave

Located in part of a collapsed lava tube, the combination of cold air settling and the insulation of the porous lava keeps the ice frozen year round.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 7, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 7, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 205 times since then and 77 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on January 7, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.