Amboy Crater, Dormant cinder cone volcano in Mojave Desert, California.

Amboy Crater is a dormant cinder cone volcano in California's Mojave Desert that rises roughly 250 feet (75 meters) above the surrounding basalt plains. Inside the crater sits a hardened lava lake enclosed by the cone's walls.

Amboy Crater is a cinder cone estimated at 79,000 years old, formed in layers of mostly vesicular pāhoehoe during the Pleistocene. Its most recent eruption was about 10,000 years ago. In May 1973 the crater and its lava field were designated the Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark.

From the 1920s through the 1960s, travelers on U.S. Route 66 could stop and climb a real volcano here, one of the few extinct volcanoes along the entire route. Visits fell after Interstate 40 opened in 1973, then rose again with renewed interest in "old Route 66" and nearby Mitchell Caverns and Mojave National Preserve.

The Western Cone Trail provides hiking access to the crater for visitors, with parking and restroom facilities at the day-use area. Shaded picnic tables are also available if you want to rest during your time in this hot desert setting.

This site served as a filming location for the 1959 movie Journey to the Center of the Earth and later for the HBO series From the Earth to the Moon. These appearances on screen brought the crater to the attention of moviegoers and television viewers worldwide.