What is there to see and do at the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano?
The Ice Cave and the Bandera Volcano are two unique and historic natural land marks located in the west central Zuni Mountain range of New Mexico. The Bandera Volcano was active about 10,000 years ago and formed one of North Americas best example of an erupted cinder cone. It is spectacular. It poured out about 20 miles of lava flow through a lava tube system over 17 miles long. Most of the lava tube collapsed but some sections remained intact as cave structures. The Ice Cave is located in the lava flow and specifically in a section of collapsed lava tube. At one end of the collapse is a one room cave where just the right set of physical conditions have combined to form a natural ice box. The temperature in the cave never rises above 31 degrees Fahrenheit. As rain water and snow melt seep down into the cave, it collects on the ice deposit at the bottom and freezes new layers of ice every year. Over the years, scientific research has indicated that ice has been forming in the cave for o
