La Ventana Natural Arch
La Ventana Natural Arch | |
|---|---|
Northwest aspect | |
| Coordinates: 34°52′09″N 107°53′21″W / 34.8691667°N 107.8891667°W | |
| Location | El Malpais National Conservation Area / Cebolla Wilderness Cibola County, New Mexico United States |
| Age | Jurassic |
| Geology | Zuni Sandstone |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 135 ft (41 m) |
| • Height | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Elevation | 7,159 ft (2,182 m) |
| Topo map | USGS North Pasture |
La Ventana Natural Arch is a natural arch in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. It is the second-largest natural arch in New Mexico and is situated in El Malpais National Conservation Area which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The arch is composed of Zuni Sandstone which was deposited as desert aeolian sand dunes about 165–175 million years ago, during the middle Jurassic period. Access is from Highway 117 and a 1/4 mile trail which transitions from paved to primitive as it enters the Cebolla Wilderness. This landform's toponym was officially adopted in 1989 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names when it replaced the name "Alta Arch." The name La Ventana is a Spanish term, meaning "the window."