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Cellpic Sunday – Valley of Fires Recreation Area

Valley of Fires Recreation Area.

September 2023.
Carrizozo, New Mexico.

As we traveled along US Highway 380 in New Mexico, we spotted a sign pointing toward the Valley of Fires Recreation Area. Shortly after turning off the highway, we discovered the recreation area offers camping and day-use facilities, RV hookups, picnic shelters, and a visitor center.

The opening photo highlights the lava field and the road leading into the recreational area. The Valley of Fires Recreation Area is a natural volcanic site near Carrizozo, New Mexico. It sits adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow, which was formed about 5,000 years ago when Little Black Peak erupted, sending lava into the Tularosa Basin. The resulting lava field is one of the youngest lava flows in the continental United States.

Despite its rugged, rocky appearance, the area is home to a diverse array of plant and animal life, including cacti, trees, mule deer, roadrunners, and golden eagles. Visitors can explore the Malpais Nature Trail, a 3/4-mile (1.2 km) paved path that winds through the lava flow and provides interpretive displays.

Valley of Fires
Little Black Peak.

The Sierra Blanca mountains are in the background at the Valley of Fire Recreation Area. They provide a striking contrast to the rugged lava fields in the foreground. I created a panoramic view of the range, but in the panoramic view, the range seemed to disappear into the background. Instead, I opted to share a photo of the Little Black Peak, the volcano that erupted to create the lava field.

Don’t confuse the Valley of Fires Recreation Area in New Mexico with the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. The recreation area is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Details on the recreation area can be found at the BLM website here.

About the photos: Both images were captured with my Samsung S23U. Only light processing was done with Luminar Neo. I used the new Auto Adjust feature in the Develop module. It’s similar to the Auto adjustment button in Adobe Lightroom Classic. I compared the two buttons in several cases and found very little difference in the results of the automatic adjustments between the two applications. For the image of Little Black Peak, I used a selective mask to highlight the mountain range and then used the Remove Color Cast slider in the Color module to remove the excessive blue cast covering the mountains. To view the metadata or photos in 2K HD on my Flickr site, click here.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never assign a specific theme to this feature—the primary rule is that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or other mobile device. The second rule: link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post. Oh, and there’s no penalty if you don’t post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

59 comments

    • I’ve been surprised by all of the lava fields around the country left by now dormant volcanoes. Usually, they are discovered, as this one was, as we drove by on our way to somewhere else.

      Reply

    • Thanks, Suzette! I appreciate your note on my inclusion of processing techniques. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that most of the time, my workflow is consistent with using only a few tools.

      Reply

      • Yes, I have noticed that your photos are processed with wonderful skill and minimal effects applied. I am (very) amateur at photography and enjoy learning to do better at it. Thank you so much, John.

    • I second that emotion, Sarah. The varied and rugged landscapes of the west draw me there often.
      In a short while, we’ll be traveling to New Orleans, but we are routing west through Texas just to see Big Bend National Park.

      Reply

      • My mom and dad moved to Tucson in 1965 the minute I went off to college..And my sister and brother in law moved to Phoenix from Wyoming years ago as well. I moved to Mexico in 2001.. seems my whole family believed in southern migration.

  16. What a fascinating discovery, John, and the youngest lava flow in the continental US to boot! This may be a good idea fora visit for us next year when we go back to AZ and spend time with my Step-mom near Tucson. At first I thought you made a boo-boo in your title with the “fires,” but quickly realized this is a place! It photographs very well! Here is mine this week–more fun at Yellowstone!

    https://secondwindleisure.com/2025/09/21/sunday-stills-fountains-and-falls-featuring-geysers-of-yellowstone/

    Reply

  26. This looks like a truly fascinating place to visit. I would love to take the paved nature trail to walk through the fascinating volcanic lava flow and observe the landscape and encroaching desert plants. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Reply

  28. You read my mind. I did think first about Valley of Fire in Nevada. It’s not as colorful, for sure. It is so barren of trees, but it sounds like you found lots of wild life.

    Reply

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