Sunset Crater

Sunset Crater
Sunset Crater from the Cinder Hills
Highest point
Elevation	8,042 ft (2,451 m)  NAVD 88
Prominence	999 ft (304 m)
Coordinates	35°21′56″N 111°30′02″W / 35.365579283°N 111.500652017°W / 35.365579283; -111.500652017Coordinates: 35°21′56″N 111°30′02″W / 35.365579283°N 111.500652017°W / 35.365579283; -111.500652017
Geography
Sunset Crater
Location	Coconino County, Arizona, U.S.
Topo map	USGS Sunset Crater East
Geology
Age of rock	~950 years
Mountain type	Cinder cone
Volcanic field	San Francisco volcanic field
Last eruption	1075 ± 25 years
Climbing
Easiest route	Hike

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)
Nearest city	Flagstaff, AZ
Coordinates	35°21′56″N 111°30′02″W / 35.365579283°N 111.500652017°W / 35.365579283; -111.500652017
Area	3,040 acres (12.3 km2)
Established	May 26, 1930
Visitors	185,265 (in 2011)
Governing body	National Park Service
Website	Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Sunset Crater is a cinder cone located north of Flagstaff in U.S. State of Arizona. The crater is within the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

Sunset Crater is the youngest in a string of volcanoes (the San Francisco volcanic field) that is related to the nearby San Francisco Peaks.

The date of the eruptions that formed the 340-meter-high cone (1,120 ft) was initially derived from tree-ring dates, suggesting the eruption began between the growing seasons of A.D. 1064–1065. However, more recent geologic and archaeological evidence places the eruption around A.D. 1085. The largest vent of the eruption, Sunset Crater itself, was the source of the Bonito and Kana-a lava flows that extended about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 mi) NW and 9.6 kilometers (6 mi) NE, respectively. Additional vents along a 10-kilometer-long fissure (6.2 mi) extending SE produced small spatter ramparts and a 6.4-kilometer-long lava flow (4 mi) to the east. The Sunset Crater eruption produced a blanket of ash and lapilli covering an area of more than 2,100 square kilometers (810 sq mi) and forced the temporary abandonment of settlements of the local Sinagua people. The volcano has partially revegetated, with pines and wildflowers. The crater is the namesake for the Sunset Crater Beardtongue (Penstemon clutei). Since the last eruption of the volcano is a recent occurrence, it is considered dormant by volcanologists.

Damage from hikers forced the National Park Service to close a trail leading to the crater, but a short trail at the base remains.

The hiking trail below the summit skirts the substantial Bonito Lava Flow. This hardened lava is black and appears fresh as it has devastated the forest in its path. The lava flow also created an ice cave or tube that is now closed to the public after a partial collapse.