Sunset Crater Volcano Monument Part 2
- April 8, 2009
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Tolik from Tampa, Florida
Strawberry Crater
Second choice for climbers, recommended by a park ranger, is the Strawberry Crater. Foot of the volcano can be reached from the loop road FR545 or from US 89 via short forest road but high clearance vehicles are recommended. Coming directly from Flagstaff, take Highway 89 to just past milepost 434 and turn right onto an unmarked dirt road (Forest Road 546). Continue east on FR-546 for roughly 3.6 miles to Forest Road 779 (continue straight at the fork). Follow FR-779 for another 2 miles to the signed trailhead. There’s an interpretive sign but no facilities. The largest lava flow in the area may be seen around the volcano (it began erupting around the year 1066).
Path is steep (400 feet elevation gain); the struggle ends at a saddle within the crater where views of the Vermillion Cliffs, Painted Desert, and the mesas of the Little Colorado River gorge are visible in the distance. From the saddle, it’s possible to augment the hike by picking your way along unmarked paths (go left and uphill) to the volcano’s rim.
Last stop in the Sunset Crater Area will be at Painted Desert Vista overlook from which it is possible to see many miles towards the relatively flat and barren land.
From journal Seven Wonders of Flagstaff
Editor Pick
Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monument Part 1
- April 8, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Tolik from Tampa, Florida
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Almost all hills and mountains between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon are geologically young but extinct volcanoes of the San Francisco Volcanic Field. We visited the Sunset Crater area after driving around the San Francisco Peaks (forest road FR 418 meets FR 545 near US 89). You can go directly from Flagstaff taking US 89 (12 miles) then turn right (east) on FR545. This road passes Bonito Campground (on your left) and brings you to the Visitor Center. Nearby you can see several colorful cinder cones formed by extinct volcanoes, and large expanses of lava and ash. The 36 miles park road eventually passes through the Wuaptki National Monument before rejoining US 89 further north. The entrance fee ($5 per person for 7 days) covers both national monuments. If you are going to visit other national parks in the area (Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest etc.) it is worth to buy a National Park Pass. Yes you are in the mountains; elevation here is 6,960ft/2,121m. The elevation of the land around Sunset Crater is high - the tallest peak is 8,916 feet.
Inside the visitors center you will find small gift shop, restrooms, and a small museum. There are interesting exhibits about volcanism, and a seismograph which continually monitors earthquake activity around the world. You can jump on a pad, creating your own "earthquake" and watch it on the monitor. Outside the pavilion there is a small picnic area.
Bonita Lava Flow
Now it is time to visit the Sunset Crater volcanic fields. Soon after the visitors center the road passes one of three main expanses of lava in the area - the Bonita Lava Flow. This is the most popular place in the park. The Bonito Lava Flow erupted from the west and northwest base of the Sunset Crater cone about 940 years ago and covered an area of 1.8 square miles. The Sinagua Indians were witness to this. Today, the volcano's rim of red cinders and the lava flows near the cone seem to have cooled and hardened to a jagged surface only yesterday. Most of the rock you see here is dark gray to black basalt. Here and there, impressive blocks of basalt surged upwards, sometimes in rich folds of black satin. Stay on the trail because it is difficult and dangerous to walk off the trail due to the extremely sharp, uneven and brittle lava.
Lenox Crater
If you want to climb a volcano then Lenox Crater is for you. It is located across the loop road (west of Sunset Crater). The jagged terrain of Lenox Crater is challenging, but the effort is worth the view. This trail is a very steep climb up to the top of a volcanic crater. The half-mile climb ascends about 300 feet and takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on your stamina. Not only is the path steep, but it's made mostly of a fine volcanic gravel, which is just about as fun to trudge through as deep snow or sand. At the top, there is a vast crater, covered with more of the same cinders. From the summit you can see the Painted Desert and a field of cinder cone volcanoes. The return trip should take about 10-20 minutes.
Sunset Crater
Sunset Crater itself is a mile further on your right; it is no longer possible to climb the 1,000 foot cone since the trail to the summit was closed in 1974 to prevent excessive erosion. Turn right shortly before the volcano (there is a clear sign) and proceed to the parking lot. Here you will find a very good loop path around the lava formations at the foot of the volcano. Of all the cinder cones of the area, Sunset Crater Volcano is one of the most colorful and pristine. As you walk along the trail toward Sunset Crater Volcano everywhere you look you'll see black, bubbly basalt. Sunset Crater, Arizona’s youngest volcano, began erupting around 1064 - 1065 A.D. Eruptions continued in the area for many decades. It has distinctive dusky red-brown patches formed by oxidized iron and sulphur which makes it appear bathed in the light of the sunset; this caused John Wesley Powell, who was the first director of the U.S. Geological Survey, to name the mountain 'Sunset Peak'. The main crater at the summit is 400 feet (120 m) in diameter. As the story goes, in the 1920s, H.S. Colton saved the cone from severe damage by averting the attempt of a Hollywood movie company to blow it up in order to simulate an eruption. This led to the establishment of the Sunset Crater National Monument in 1930.
Immediately after the Sunset Crater volcano on your right there is the Cinder Hills Overlook; stop here for the best view of the park's namesake Sunset Crater. The vegetation here is sparse - mainly scattered pine trees, many of which are dead due to an unstable root base and lack of water; the area is generally quite desolate and looks as if the eruption occurred very recently although it actually happened in 1065, with some lesser activity over the following 200 years.
From journal Seven Wonders of Flagstaff