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Tupperware-type box hidden a short distance north of Valley Of Fires state park entrance, in the lava.
Valley Of Fires State Park consists of a huge lava flow riddled with cracks, caves, and crevices that would be a cache-hunter's nightmare, were it not for the accuracy of GPS. The lava flow is a few miles wide, and even though it extends a similar distance south of Highway 380 where the entrance to the park lies, it has it's source over 10 miles northward at a small, non-descript hill barely visibly from the park itself (a diagram near the visitor center points out what's left of the original volcano.)
Though New Mexico is mostly desert plateau and mountain now, it has a very diverse past. Many areas of the state were the scene of massive volcanic disasters, such as the huge Valles Caldera in the Jemez Mountains, and the extinct volcanos and lava flows near Grants, not to mention cindercones and pyroclastic flows that are found around Albuquerque, east of Carizozo, and some other scattered areas around the state. Before all the fireworks, large areas of New Mexico were sea bottom, which resulted in huge deposits of fossil sea creatures that can be found in nearly every corner of the state.
With my son, Dragon Boy, in tow, I picked this spot to hide a cache to fill in another void on the state cache map. While the cache is only a short distance from the paved road, the terrain is extremely rough, and very small children or infirm types should avoid it. There is definitely a short, steep climb involved to reach the cache. When you find it you will notice it sits in a smooth, rounded hollow area in otherwise jagged rock: this was once an air bubble within the molten lava.
The lava rocks are deceptive in climbing difficulty - it is actually much easier to navigate and climb than it looks. The rock is rougher than sandpaper, making it virtually impossible for shoes or clothes to slip on. This gives fantastic traction when climbing, and there are thousands of handholds in the various bubbles and cracks in the rock, as well. My 10 year old climbed the steep lava wall to the cache with ease, so most should find it fun - nature's "Jungle Gym" for kids from 10 to 80. Make sure you have time to explore the rest of the park after hunting the cache, expecially if you have kids along - they'll have a blast. Be careful not to let them squirm into the small caves in the flow, tho, you may not ever see them again!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Cnex ng chyybss va jrfgobhaq ynar whfg jrfg bs tngr. Jnyx rnfg gb arneyl rira jvgu tngr nybat ebnq, lbh jvyy frr n snveyl yriry jvqr ybj nern urnqrq abegu sebz ebnq orgjrra gur uvture ynin sybjf. Urnq abegu nybat ybj nern, sbyybjvat jrfg jnyy bs ynin sbe nobhg 100 lqf. Pnpur vf nobhg 1/2 jnl hc n znwbe gbc-gb-obggbz penpx va ynin sybj, fvggvat va n fzbbgu nve cbpxrg vafvqr gur penpx.