Sunset Crater National Monument Things to Do Tips by Basaic Top 5 Page for this destination

Painted Desert Vista

Between the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and the Wupatki National Monument is the Painted Desert Vista.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/

Cinder Hills Overlook

Another stop along the road is the Cinder Hills Overlook. You can see a series of red cinder-covered vents. This fissure leads to the Sunset Crate.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/

Agglutinate Mound

The reddish hill you see here is called an Agglutinate Mound. It is a pile of welded pyroclastic (volcanic) material.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/

Squeeze Up

This formation is called a Squeeze Up. It is formed when lava is squeezed through a crack in the surface like squeezing toothpaste from a tube. The squeeze up will also feature vertical lines from the walls of the crack.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/

Spatter Cone

This formation is called a Spatter Cone or a Hornito. It is formed when lava is forced up through an opening in the cooled surface of a lava flow, like a miniature volcano. Please observe the Spatter Cone from a distance because it is very fragile.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/

Pahoehoe Lava Flow

The other main form of lava flow is Pahoehoe (pronounced Pah-hoy-hoy). It tends to have a smooth, ropey surface.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/

Aa (not a typo) Lava Flow

One of the main forms of lava flows is called Aa (pronounced Ah-ah). Aa tends to be jagged.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/

Stratovolcanoes

The San Francisco Peaks represent a third type of volcano a composite or stratovolcano. This type has steep peaks and less steep sides. Mount St Helens and Mount Fuji are also stratovolcanoes. The highest peak in the San Franciscos, Humphrey's Peak at 12, 633 feet, is the highest point in Arizona.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/

O'Leary Peak

I talked about the Cone Style Volcano like Sunset Crater; this is O'Leary Peak. It is one of the other types of volcano called a dome. Dome type volcanoes are rounded.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/

Lenox Crater

Although you cannot hike to the top of Sunset Crater you can hike to the top of Lenox Crater which is much older. The view from the top is very nice.

Directions: Just off US Highway 89 North of Flagstaff

Phone: (928) 526-0502

Website: http://www.nps.gov/sucr/