Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

PARK OVERVIEW

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Flagstaff, Arizona, preserves Sunset Crater, a 1,000-foot-high cinder cone volcano that is one of the best examples of its kind on the continent. A volcanic eruption sometime around 1085 AD created the crater, making it the youngest volcano in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, an area in northern Arizona featuring over 600 volcanoes scattered over 1,800 square miles. The eruption was so vigorous that it produced a 12-mile-high ash column and deposited tephra (ash, cinder, and debris) across 800 square miles. While there has been no recent volcanic activity, Sunset Crater Volcano is not considered extinct.

John Wesley Powell, a famous explorer and geologist, is credited with naming Sunset Crater during one of his expeditions in the late 1800s. He described the cone as having such contrasting colors, with bright reddish cinders next to black basalt rocks, that when viewed from a distance, the cinders appeared to be glowing.

In 1928, a Hollywood motion picture company wanted to film a realistic landslide for the movie adaptation of Zane Grey’s bestselling novel, Avalanche. The movie crew had their eyes set on Sunset Crater Volcano as the perfect location and planned to use dynamite to blow up part of the crater. Local citizens learned of the plans, and a public outcry for protection ensued. With the community’s help, Harold Colton, the founder and director of the Museum of Northern Arizona, petitioned the federal government to protect the volcano. Their concerns were heard, and on May 26, 1930, President Herbert Hoover established Sunset Crater Volcano as a national monument. The land was initially managed by the U.S. Forest Service before being officially transferred to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933. (Avalanche ended up being shot elsewhere in the San Francisco Peaks.)

Begin your visit to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument by stopping by the Visitor Center to pick up a park brochure, browse through the exhibits about the volcano, and watch the park film. Afterwards, head outside to explore the park on one of its five hiking trails.

OPERATING HOURS

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is open year-round, 24 hours a day. The Visitor Center is typically open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, except when closed for New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Keep in mind that times can always change, and severe weather can affect road conditions, so be sure to check the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the latest schedule. Also note that Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, staying on Mountain Standard Time year-round.

FEES

There is a fee to enter Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Passes can be purchased at the Visitor Center with credit and debit cards only—no cash is accepted. Both Sunset Crater Volcano and National Park annual passes cover entry fees. Entrance to the nearby Wupatki National Monument is also included. Passes for both monuments are good for seven days from the purchase date. For the latest prices, visit the National Park Service’s official Fees and Passes web page for the park.

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Visitor Center
Allow 30-45 minutes

Hiking Trails
Allow 1 to 4 hours

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