Can you go into Sunset Crater?

The Sunset Crater Volcano Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most visitors drive through the 34 mile scenic loop that winds from Highway 89 through Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments.

Is Sunset Crater worth seeing?

Sunset Crater Volcano may not be for everyone. You probably need to be a bit of a science nerd to truly appreciate it. For a non-sciencey person it is a nice park with great paths and cool scenery.

Is Sunset Crater still active?

Local cinder cones are created by a one-time eruption event and are not known to erupt more than once. Sunset Crater Volcano erupted over 900 years ago, making it the youngest cinder cone in a field of over 600 volcanoes. It is now extinct and not anticipated to erupt again.

How much does it cost to go to Sunset Crater?

While the entry fee for Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is usually $25 per vehicle, here are days when you can visit for free!

How do I get to Sunset Crater?

How to Get There: From Flagstaff it takes 30 min to get to Sunset Crater. The directions are to take U.S. 89 north for 12 miles (19km), turn right on the Sunset Crater – Wupatki Loop road and continue 2 miles (3km) to the visitor center at 6082 Sunset Crater Road, Flagstaff AZ, 86004.

Is the crater open?

The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day. But many of the park’s roads, trails, and facilities are closed seasonally due to snow.

How long do people spend at Sunset Crater?

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, along with Wupatki National Monument, is on the scenic drive of the 35-mile loop road off U.S. Route 89 northeast of Flagstaff. Plan on taking at least 4 hours to explore the area.

When was the last time Sunset Crater erupted?

Sunset Crater in northern Arizona is one of the youngest volcanoes in the USA. It is named for its brilliantly colored scoria deposits on the cone and only one of more than 550 vents of the vast San Francisco volcanic field. The last eruption took place sometime between about 1080 and 1150 AD.

Are there any active volcanoes in Arizona?

Arizona’s three active volcanic fields , the San Francisco, Uinkaret, and Pinacate fields largely erupt basaltic lavas and tephra.

Is Sunset Crater a hotspot?

Other examples of continental hotspot volcanism do, however, exist. One of these is the San Francisco Volcanic Field in northern Arizona. At the other end of the spectrum, the most recent eruption, of which Sunset Crater near Flagstaff, Arizona, is the most prominent vent, occurred less than a thousand years ago.

Where is Sunset Crater Volcano National Park?

Sunset Crater is a cinder cone located north of Flagstaff in the U.S. state of Arizona. The crater is within the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Sunset Crater is the youngest in a string of volcanoes (the San Francisco volcanic field) that is related to the nearby San Francisco Peaks.

Is it safe to go to Crater Lake?

Hiking and climbing inside the caldera are strictly prohibited. The only exception is the Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only safe and legal access to the lake shore. Serious injuries and deaths have occurred from falls inside the caldera. The walls consist of steep, unstable rocks and soils.

What to see in Flagstaff AZ?

There are plenty of things to see in Flagstaff. The city is set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and there is tons to see and do here. Among the many things to do Flagstaff, top activities include visiting the Grand Falls of the Little Colorado River, Thorpe Park, and the Kachina Trail.

Where is Sunset Crater National Monument?

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona, created to protect Sunset Crater, a cinder cone within the San Francisco Volcanic Field .

How far is Sunset Crater from Phoenix?

Optimal route map between Phoenix, AZ and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Flagstaff , AZ. This route will be about 164 Miles. The driving route information(distance, estimated time, directions), flight route, traffic information and print the map features are placed on the top right corner of the map.

Is Sunset Crater active?

No. Sunset Crater is extinct and will not erupt again. However, there is still an active magma chamber(underground pool of molten rock) under the area, which will undoubtedly produce more eruptions in the future.