History
David Candelaria opened the business with his wife Cora (Reddy) Candelaria in 1946. The moment he saw the property he fell in love with it! David was responsible for getting power and water, blazing the trails, and building the stairs that go down into the Ice Cave. He was one of the first promoters of tourism in the state of New Mexico. He established a NM State Highway 53 Association and was influential in getting Highway 53 paved, increasing accessibility and traffic to local businesses in the area. Highway 53 is known as the Ancient Trail and has great historical significance. David Candelaria's grandfather Silvestre Mirabal purchased the land in the early 1900s from the lumber and railroad companies that were in the area and passed it down to his eldest daughter Prudencia Mirabal who passed the land down to David, her youngest son. The land is now owned by David's three daughters. Debbie Reinschmidt, David's daughter, is managing the business at present.
Specialties
Come enjoy our trails! The Ice Cave trail is 400 yards and down 72 steps into an ancient collapsed lava tube! See the 20 feet thick ice floor with green arctic algae growing on the surface. Walk the 1/2 mile to Bandera Volcano viewpoint to see the 800 feet deep and 1400 feet across cinder cone crater with a lava tube that extends for 17.5 miles, one of the longest in North America! Then stop in at the historic trading post, originally a dance hall and saloon in the early 1900s and hear the history of four generations of family welcoming tourists since 1946!
