Oversized Vehicles

The Volcano Road

The 2 mile Volcano Road was surveyed and constructed in 1925 by custodian Homer Farr and local labor using hand tools and mules dragging weighted boards up the volcano. He believed that better access to Capulin Volcano would bring more tourists to the monument and boost the local economy. Though the building of the road was controversial even for its day, visitors are still able to enjoy the accessibility it has provided over the past 90 years. At that time, there was no way of even conceiving of the size of today's RV's and trailers. Even if Homer Farr had, there is simply no room on the road, or in the volcano top parking area for anything other than vehicles 26 feet and under.

Oversized Vehicles (Vehicles over 26 feet in length)
Because the Volcano Road was built initially in 1925, it predated current roadway standard widths. Large vehicles, such as tour buses and motor homes, struggle to navigate the tight S curves and narrow lanes without encroaching on the opposing lane of traffic. As a result, in 1994 the National Park Service implemented policies that restricted the length and width of vehicles safely able to negotiate the Volcano Road alone. To ensure safety, Capulin Volcano National Monument instituted traffic control protocols. Due to this restriction, Capulin Volcano does not allow oversized vehicles to travel up Volcano Road.

Vehicles Pulling Trailers
No trailers are allowed on the volcano road. We do have an oversized vehicle/trailer parking area, where it is possible to drop a trailer. Semi-tractors with trailers or travel trailers over 34 feet, the road leading to the visitor center is narrow with a tight parking lot entrance and exit, and turning around can be difficult approaching impossible. If you would like to visit please note it may be nearly impossible to enter or exit our parking area without damaging park infrastructure, your vehicle, or others vehicles.