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Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Flagstaff, AZ

Photo: Mikesanchez1109, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Sunset Crater-Wupatki Loop Rd (FR 545), off US-89 · Flagstaff, AZ

Why you should go…

Sunset Crater is a cinder cone north of Flagstaff that erupted around AD 1085, and the monument around it preserves the lava and cinder fields it left behind. The one-mile Lava Flow Trail loops through the Bonito Lava Flow at the base of the volcano, and the Lenox Crater Trail climbs through ponderosa pine to views of the San Francisco Peaks. Hiking to the summit of Sunset Crater itself is not allowed. One entrance pass also covers Wupatki National Monument, reached by the same scenic loop road.

  • #national monument
  • #volcano
  • #lava flow
  • #hiking
  • #scenic drive

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Arizona Snowbowl

    $50+

    Historic ski resort on the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff with year-round gondola rides.

    13 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Flagstaff

    Free

    A high-elevation Arizona city on Route 66 serving as a gateway to the Grand Canyon, ponderosa forests and ski country.

    13 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    Lowell Observatory

    $25–$50

    Tour a working research observatory in Flagstaff and view the night sky through historic telescopes.

    13 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Grand Canyon Adventures

    $50+

    A Flagstaff-based tour operator running guided day trips to the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Sedona.

    14 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Devil's Bridge

    Under $25

    Hike through red rock country to a 50-foot natural sandstone arch you can walk across.

    36 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Canyon Coaster Adventure Park

    $25–$50

    A mountain coaster and tubing park built into a cliffside near Williams, Arizona.

    37 mi awayMore like this