What Is It?
Walk over the most recent lava flow in Arizona at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. The monument—just outside Flagstaff—shows just how radically an eruption can change the landscape.
History
Many native tribes witnessed the volcano’s eruption just under 1,000 years ago, around 1,085 C.E. After days or weeks of earthquakes, a nearly 6-mile-long fissure split the Earth’s surface, and lava spouted up to 850 feet. The eruption covered 900 square miles with lava and ash, and the ash cloud could have been seen from as far away as present-day Tucson and Las Vegas.
Finding Flows
The main cinder cone you can visit today—the monument’s namesake Sunset Crater Volcano—formed around one of the main vents of the fissure. While the area surrounding the eruption was once fertile soil, it is now covered by the 10-story-deep lava flows. The oldest pine trees in the landscape are just 250 years old and are believed to be the first to grow since the eruption.
Nearby Monuments
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is one of three national monuments in the Flagstaff area. If you drive about a half-hour, you reach Wupatki—a pueblo community from around 1100 C.E. near the painted desert—and Walnut Canyon, home to cliff dwellings.
More Information
The national monument is open daily from sunrise to sunset. The visitor center is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s and operates from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To plan your trip, call 928-526-0502 or visit www.nps.gov/sucr.