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Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Flagstaff, AZ

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

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Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is an outdoor activity in Flagstaff, AZ, part of the Northern Arizona guide. Cost: $25 to $50.

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

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
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    Arizona Snowbowl

    $50+

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

    13 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
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    Flagstaff

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    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
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    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
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    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
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    Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course

    $50+

    A treetop adventure park in Fort Tuthill County Park with obstacle courses, 30-plus ziplines and a kids course.

    18 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
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    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