Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, National Monument in Coconino County, Arizona.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument preserves a volcanic cone rising about 1000 feet (300 meters) above the surrounding desert, ringed by expansive fields of dark lava and cinder. The blackened terrain stretches across miles of landscape, creating a stark contrast against the reddish desert soil beyond the eruption zone.
A volcanic eruption in 1085 reshaped the landscape and forced the people living here to adapt how they farmed and lived. The monument was established in 1930 to protect this geological site and the traces of early settlement it contains.
The Sinagua people living in this area adapted their farming after the eruption by using the cinder layer to help their crops retain water. This practical response to landscape change shaped how they continued to live on this land.
A scenic loop road about 34 miles (55 kilometers) long connects this area to the nearby Wupatki National Monument, allowing you to explore both sites in one visit. The visitor center at the entrance provides maps and educational materials to help orient yourself on the grounds.
The dark cinders contain oxidized iron and sulfur that shimmer in red, orange, and purple tones when sunlight hits them at the right angle. This optical effect is most noticeable at sunrise and sunset, which is how the crater earned its name.
Location: Coconino County
Inception: May 26, 1930
Part of: Flagstaff Area National Monuments
Website: https://nps.gov/sucr
GPS coordinates: 35.36556,-111.50064
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:46
The southwestern United States encompasses desert landscapes, sandstone formations and archaeological sites from several pre-Columbian cultures. The region spans Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, featuring geological structures shaped over millions of years by wind and water erosion. National parks such as Canyonlands and Capitol Reef display canyons, mesas and rock spires in shades of red, orange and ochre. The area preserves evidence of the Ancestral Puebloans, who built cliff dwellings and communal structures between the 12th and 14th centuries. Sites like Bandelier National Monument and Gila Cliff Dwellings provide access to these habitations. Chaco Culture National Historical Park documents a pre-Hispanic trading center with multistory stone complexes. Petroglyphs at locations such as Three Rivers and the petrified trees of Petrified Forest National Park offer additional historical records. The Navajo Nation administers Monument Valley and the Navajo Zoo, while Hubbell Trading Post operates as a functioning 19th-century trading post. Volcanic features mark Sunset Crater and El Malpais, while White Sands covers more than 275 square miles (700 square kilometers) of gypsum dunes. Glen Canyon and the man-made Lake Cochiti provide water access in this largely arid region. Elevation differences range from the Organ Pipe Cactus Desert to Great Basin National Park with its ridges above 13,000 feet (3,900 meters).
Arizona contains geological formations spanning millions of years alongside evidence of Spanish colonial settlement and prehistoric cultures. The landscape includes sandstone canyons such as Antelope Canyon X and Canyon de Chelly National Monument, extensive desert areas with saguaro and organ pipe cacti, and volcanic remnants at Sunset Crater. Historical sites include Spanish missions like Tumacácori, pueblo ruins at Montezuma Castle, and mining towns such as Bisbee and Jerome. The state holds significant paleontological sites at Petrified Forest National Park, where fossilized tree trunks from the Triassic period lie exposed, and cave systems like Kartchner Caverns with active speleothem formations. The Vermilion Cliffs region displays layered sandstone formations including The Wave, while the Chiricahua Mountains show volcanic rock pinnacles formed from welded ash. Waterfalls such as Havasu Falls and Grand Falls result from geological faulting and seasonal water flow. Archaeological sites document occupation by the Hohokam, Sinagua, and Ancestral Puebloans between 300 and 1400 CE. Tonto Natural Bridge forms one of the largest travertine bridges in North America, while Besh-Ba-Gowah shows Salado culture construction methods from the 13th century. The territory spans from the Sonoran Desert in the south to the Colorado Plateau in the north, creating distinct climate zones and ecosystems within a compact area.
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