La Ventana Natural Arch | |
|---|---|
 Northwest aspect | |
  La Ventana Natural Arch Location in New Mexico  La Ventana Natural Arch La Ventana Natural Arch (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 34°52′09″N107°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) [1] |
| • Height | 80 ft (24 m) [1] |
| 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. [2] 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. [3] 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. [4] Access is from Highway 117 and a 1/4 mile trail which transitions from paved to primitive as it enters the Cebolla Wilderness. [5] This landform's toponym was officially adopted in 1989 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names when it replaced the name "Alta Arch." [2] The name La Ventana is a Spanish term, meaning "the window."
