El Morro with Sunflowers
El Morro National Monument
National Monument · NM
Imagine the refreshment of finding water after days of dusty travel. A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a sandstone bluff made El Morro (the headland) a popular campsite for hundreds of years. Here, ancestral Puebloans, Spanish, and American travelers carved over 2,000 signatures, dates, messages, and petroglyphs. Make El Morro National Monument a stopping point on your travels.
Park report
Alert: Park Closure
How this is rated
Poor: closures/hazards · Fair: cautions/noticesTrail Closure Due to Rockfall
Alert: Park Closure
How this is rated
Poor: closures/hazards · Fair: cautions/noticesTrail Closure for Restoration
Alert: Information
How this is rated
Poor: closures/hazards · Fair: cautions/noticesPark closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Alert: Information
How this is rated
Poor: closures/hazards · Fair: cautions/noticesWater in campground is shut off for the winter
Hours Exceptions
NoteWinter Hours 2026-2027; Closed Thanksgiving; Closed Christmas; Closed New Years Day
Entrance Fee
How this is rated
Good: free entryFree — no entrance fee
Campgrounds Available
How this is rated
Good: campgrounds available in this park1 campground
Visitor Centers
Good1 visitor center
Activities Available
How this is rated
Good: many activities available19 activities
Park Name
InfoEl Morro National Monument
Designation
InfoNational Monument
State(s)
InfoNM
Phone
Info5057834226
wendy_gordge@nps.gov
Operating Hours
InfoSummer Hours (May 24, 2026 - October 17, 2026). Park visitor center and trails open 7 days/week. Winter Hours (October 18, 2026 - May 27, 2027). Visitor center and trails open 5 days/week. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Trail access begins at 9:00 am. Last admittance to the Headland Trail is at 2:30 pm MT. Last admittance to the Inscription Loop Trail is at 4:00 pm MT. There is no access to park trails once the visitor center closes at 5:00 pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1.
Visitor Center: El Morro Visitor Center
InfoSee park for hours
Themes & Topics
InfoArcheology, Ruins, Colonization and Settlement + 18 more
Weather Info
InfoAt an elevation of 7,219 feet (2200 meters) winters can be cold and snowy. Summers are warm with afternoon thunder showers from mid-July through mid-September. Trails can close unexpectedly due to sev
Getting There
InfoFrom Albuquerque, NM, or from the east: take Interstate 40 west to Grants. At exit 81, go south on Highway 53 for 42 miles to El Morro National Monument. From Flagstaff, AZ, or from the west: take Int
Location
Info35.0390° N, -108.3464° W
Data from official federal recreation records. Updated periodically. Park conditions change — always verify with the park before visiting. Verify on official park website