How Crowded Is El Malpais in April?
April is a busy month at El Malpais National Monument, running about 1.2× the park's average month — roughly 10% of the year's visitors come in April. That puts it between the May peak and the January low. Overall our best-time score rates April as "Poor" for a visit. Typical April weather averages a high near 67°F and a low around 30°F. You'll get about 12.9 hours of daylight to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
April is busy at El Malpais National Monument (about 1.2× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Poor". The single best month overall is August.
The busiest month is May and the quietest is January. April sits at about 1.2× the park's average, or 10% of annual visitation.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1988–2025), NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991–2020. Updated 2026-06-20.