The lava flow lies on the land like a dream, a wonderland of rock. A thousand years ago the ground was torn open and lava erupted into the sky, forever changing the landscape and the lives of the people who lived here. A thousand years later, trees and flowers grow among the rocks, and people visit the lava flow to see and remember the most recent volcanic eruption in Arizona.

Sunset Crater Volcano is the youngest of over 600 volcanoes in the San Francisco volcanic field surrounding Flagstaff — and the most recent eruption in all of Arizona. It erupted around 1085 CE, though geologists have debated the exact date with estimates ranging from 1040 to 1100 CE. The eruption lasted no longer than 50 years — possibly only a few months. What it left behind is still transforming the landscape nearly a thousand years later

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We visited on April 2, 2018 — with my sister's family and my two kids, as part of the same day that included Lava River Cave and Wupatki National Monument. Sunset Crater was the middle stop — the geological context for everything the Sinagua built at Wupatki. Seeing the volcano before the pueblo makes the story make sense in the right order.

The Eruption — What Happened in 1085

In approximately 1085, the earth shook, rumbled, and cracked with great force. Lava and ash from a violent volcano spewed into the air, covering pit houses and farms built by the Sinagua people. The first eruption blew a blanket of cinders around the crater, forming the initial structure of the cone. Intermittent volcanic activity continued. The cinder fall eventually covered hundreds of square miles, and molten lava oozed from the bottom of the crater, forming the Kana-a and Bonito lava flows.

Archaeologists uncovered pithouses beneath layers of ash in the 1930s, indicating people were living here when Sunset Crater erupted. The lack of furnishings in their dwellings suggests they had warning of the impending eruption and safely fled the area.

But the eruption was not simply destructive. Ash fall from the eruption covered an area of more than 800 square miles, creating a natural mulch that actually improved agricultural conditions in some areas where a thin layer was deposited. The layer of volcanic ash added nutrients to the soil, helped the ground absorb moisture, and prevented evaporation. Dry terrain suddenly turned arable. After the volcanic activity settled down, the Sinagua returned — not to the scorched land surrounding the volcano, but to the arid region 20 miles north where Wupatki now stands. A major population influx followed. The volcano that drove people away ultimately brought thousands back.

The Crater — Why You Can No Longer Climb It

Sunset Crater rises 1,000 feet above the surrounding landscape — its name comes from the rusty red and orange cinders near the peak that glow like a permanent sunset. The colors are most vivid in morning and afternoon light. A trail providing access to the summit and crater was closed in 1973 because of excessive erosion caused by hikers. In 1928, a Hollywood film company planned to detonate large quantities of explosives on the side of Sunset Crater to create an avalanche for a Zane Grey motion picture. Public outcry over this plan led in part to the proclamation of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument by President Herbert Hoover in 1930. The crater is now protected — summit access is closed permanently.

The Trails

Three trails allow visitors to explore the Bonito Lava Flow and surrounding volcanic landscape — all rated easy to moderate.

Lava Flow Trail — 1 mile loop, the must-do trail. Takes you through a remarkable lava field where you can walk amid hardened rivers of black lava and see the cinder cone up close. The trail features interpretive signs that explain the formation of the lava flows and the cinder cones. Walking across the black lava with the red cinder cone rising above and ponderosa pines growing up through the rock on all sides is one of the more surreal landscape experiences in Arizona.

Bonito Vista Trail — 0.3 miles, paved and fully accessible. Provides fantastic views of the Bonito Lava Flow, the Sunset Crater Volcano, and the expansive cinder fields. Good option for those with limited mobility or young children who need a shorter route.

Lenox Crater Trail — 1.6 miles round trip, moderate to strenuous. Leads to the top of Lenox Crater, a smaller cinder cone formed by the same eruptions. Rewards hikers with panoramic views of the San Francisco Peaks, Sunset Crater, and the surrounding volcanic landscape. This is the only trail in the monument where you can climb to a crater rim.

A'a Lava Trail — 0.2 miles. Named after the rough and jagged A'a lava, provides an up-close view of volcanic rock that looks freshly erupted. Informative signs describe the different types of lava.

What You're Walking On

Two types of lava are visible throughout the monument. Pahoehoe lava is smooth and ropy — it flows fast and cools into undulating sheets. A'a lava is rough, chunky, and jagged — it flows slower and tumbles over itself as it cools, creating the sharp blocky formations that look like they would shred a pair of hiking boots. Both types are present at Sunset Crater and the difference between them is immediately obvious on the trails. The lava field is fragile despite its apparent solidity — stay on marked trails.

The Visitor Center

The visitor center features exhibits about the volcano's eruption, the area's geology, and its cultural significance to the Native American tribes. A short film runs regularly — well produced and worth 20 minutes before hitting the trails. Rangers are on hand and genuinely knowledgeable about the geology. Restrooms and water available here — the only water in the monument.

The Connection to Wupatki

Sunset Crater and Wupatki are best understood together — the volcano created the conditions that built the civilization. The 36-mile Scenic Loop Road connects the two monuments, beginning and ending on US-89 north of Flagstaff. The standard approach is to enter from the south at Sunset Crater, drive the loop northeast through the lava fields and painted desert, visit Wupatki, and exit north on US-89. One entrance fee covers both monuments for seven days.

Our April 2018 Visit

We visited Sunset Crater as the middle stop of a full day that started at Lava River Cave and ended at Wupatki — a natural geological and cultural progression. The kids had just been underground in a lava tube at Lava River Cave. Now they were walking on top of the lava field that erupted from the same volcanic system.

We walked the main Lava Flow Trail, reading the interpretive plaques along the route. What struck most was the sheer scale of it — how vast and black the lava field is in every direction, and how thick the layer of rock appears. You understand intellectually that lava flows cover significant ground, but standing in the middle of it with black rock extending to the horizon in every direction is a different kind of understanding. The depth of the flow in the ditches and gulleys along the trail is striking — this is not a thin surface coating but a genuine geological formation many feet deep.

One photo from this hike stays with me — a lone green ponderosa pine growing directly out of a black ditch or gulley in the lava field. The green against the black is absolute. Life finding its footing in what looks like the least hospitable ground imaginable. It's a perfect small version of the larger story of Sunset Crater — the volcanic destruction that ultimately created conditions for everything that followed.

Luca walked this trail barefoot. His shoes had fallen apart at Lava River Cave earlier that day and he didn't have a backup pair. He walked the lava field in bare feet — which, given that A'a lava is specifically named for being the most jagged and foot-punishing volcanic rock in existence, is either impressive or a testament to how good the maintained trail surface actually is. Probably both.

Dark Sky and Stargazing

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, along with Wupatki and Walnut Canyon, is a designated International Dark Sky Park. Bonito Campground on adjacent USFS land offers 44 camping units in a stand of ponderosa pines — the only camping option near the monument and an excellent base for evening stargazing in one of the darkest skies in northern Arizona.

More Information (2026)

• Entrance fee: $25/vehicle — valid 7 days, covers both Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument

• Camping: Bonito Campground — 44 units on adjacent USFS land in ponderosa pines, first-come first-served, ~$26/night — Recreation.gov; O'Leary Group Site for groups of 50–75 people

• No camping within the monument itself — Bonito Campground is USFS land adjacent to the monument

Contact

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

6082 Sunset Crater Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86004

(928) 526-0502 nps.gov/sucr

Hours

Visitor Center: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM daily — closed Christmas Day

Loop Road: Open 24 hours — weather permitting

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