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Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano, Grants, NM
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureQuirky Fun

Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano

12000 Ice Cave Road · Grants, NM

Why you should go…

A family-owned natural attraction along old Route 66 near Grants, New Mexico, with self-guided walking trails to the Bandera Volcano cinder cone and a lava-tube cave that holds ice year-round. The cave formed more than 3,000 years ago and its internal temperature never rises above 31 degrees Fahrenheit. An on-site trading post displays Native American artifacts found in the area.

  • #cave
  • #volcano
  • #hiking
  • #route 66
  • #natural wonder

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Acoma Pueblo (Sky City)

    $25–$50

    Join a guided tour of Sky City, an adobe pueblo and 1600s mission on top of a 365-foot sandstone mesa.

    24 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    History Buff

    Petroglyph National Monument

    Free

    Thousands of images carved into volcanic rock by Ancestral Puebloan and Spanish settlers over 700 years.

    63 mi awayMore like this

  • Tours
    Iconic

    World Balloon

    $50+

    Sunrise hot air balloon flights over Albuquerque's Rio Grande Valley and Sandia Mountains.

    67 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    ABQ BioPark

    Under $25

    A zoo, aquarium, and botanic garden along the Rio Grande, all under one combination ticket.

    67 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Sandia Peak Tramway

    $25–$50

    One of the world's longest aerial trams, lifting riders 4,000 feet to a summit overlooking five states.

    78 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

    $25–$50

    Hike among cone-shaped tent rocks up to 90 feet tall on a slot canyon trail and a cave loop on Cochiti Pueblo land.

    89 mi awayMore like this