"Hey, we just passed a sign for a volcano!!"

"Here? Near Raton? No way!"

If you see the sign for "Capulin Volcano National Monument" while zipping along on Interstate 25, just south of Raton, you might not believe the volcano amounts to much. Certainly not enough to take a 35-mile sidetrip.

But if you make that trip a goal, you'll experience a hypnotizing sight: a perfectly shaped massive cone rising 1,000 feet from the high prairie, like a stately matron overseeing the land around her, dressed in a spiral road to the top.

Be sure to stop first at the Visitors Center, open all year, before driving that road. The center has the best exhibits I've seen explaining volcano formation.

About 60,000 years ago, a series of explosions hurled molten rock thousands of feet into the sky. The rains of cooling cinders eventually formed the uniquely symmetrical Capulin Volcano, while earthquakes created fissures that led to other eruptions. All in all, Capulin, now extinct, sits in the 8,000-square-mile Raton-Clayton volcanic basin, and is very different from the volcanism that shaped our Valles Caldera west of Los Alamos.

The exhibits also explain how the road came to be built: by Homer Farr, using mules dragging weighted boards up the volcano's early hiking trail. The spiral road to the top was finally cut in December 1925, and Farr (I'd call him "fearless Farr") drove the first car to the top. The road is two miles long and perfectly maintained, but got my attention: there are no guardrails along its edge.

At the rim's parking area there are two hikes. First is the Rim Hike. It's a loop trail, steep in spots as it goes up and down along the rim, but the path is paved and has benches to rest and enjoy the setting. You'll be at 8,100 feet and have stunning views of the fissures and outflows that characterize Capulin and its volcanic field, including "Baby Capulin" to the north.

We saw crowds of lady bugs on trees and rocks, and lizards skittering among the stones. Turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks drifting on warm air rose from Capulin's southern side. Blue jays flitted among gambel oaks, junipers and acres of piñon, luckily by-passed by the pinebark beetle scourge.

If you like wildflowers, the terrain from the base to rim offers niches for well over 20 species, from cactus to alpine primrose, with the Indian paintbrush, sunflowers, penstemon, and prickly poppy along the rim.

The second hike is the Crater hike: brag to your friends that you descended into the mouth of a volcano. This trail curves downward about a quarter-mile, is paved, and reveals how a volcano can "plug" itself, if its high rim collapses inward when eruptions have ended.

Back at the Visitors Center there's the Lava Trail. It's an excellent way to get the big picture view of Capulin, the lesser volcanos of which Capulin is the matron, and the high-plains grasses, flowers and shrubs not available at the rim. Be sure to wear sturdy sneakers — no flip flops! About two-thirds of the trail is made up of small cinder-size, sharp, lava rock, that requires a little attention to navigate.

Finally, plan on picnicking. Capulin's excellent picnic area is spacious and tree-shaded. (A tip: for secluded tables, head to the left as soon as you enter.)

So next time, make Capulin Volcano your goal, not a nod. This National Monument is a special treasure, begun as barren stone, but now mantled with trees, flowers, and home to all manner of birds and wildlife. Capulin will provide a unique, meditative setting to contemplate the wonders and evolution of our natural world.

IF YOU GO

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visitor Information (575) 278-2201. To call about road accessibility: (575) 278-2201 ext. 302. Also: www.nps.gov/cave/index.htn

GETTING THERE: From Santa Fe, take I-25 north to Exit 451. Go east on N.M. 87/64 (Clayton Road) 35 miles. Also accessible from Sugarite Canyon State Park via Folsom. Sugarite plus Capulin make a perfect weekend outing.

WHERE TO STAY: Camping: None at Capulin. There are sites at Sugarite Canyon State Park, 35 miles northwest of Capulin. Exit 452. Take N.M. 72 east 3.8 miles, then north on N.M. 526, for 2.7 miles. For more info: www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/sugarite.htm. Also, contact park manager Robert Dye at (575) 445-5607, or Robert.dye@state.nm.us

LODGING: Take Exit 451 off of I-25, turn west to Business I-25. There are more than five hotels/motels less than a mile from the exit. For more, go to: /www.raton.info/

Karl Kregor can be contacted at kkregor@comcast.net