West Malpais Wilderness is a 35,940-acre protected volcanic landscape south of Grants in western New Mexico, managed by the Bureau of Land Management within the larger El Malpais National Conservation Area. Established on December 31, 1987, by Public Law 100-225, it was part of a broader effort that also created nearby protected areas and trails, marking a major step in conserving this region. Its high, mostly flat terrain was formed by repeated eruptions that created craters, lava tubes, cinder cones, and pressure ridges. A notable feature is the Hole-in-the-Wall kipuka, where ponderosa pine stands amid older lava flows, alongside diverse plant and animal life.