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Between A.D. 1064 and 1180, a series of eruptions — the only eruptions in the Southwest indisputably witnessed by local peoples — brought the dormant San Francisco Volcanic Field back to life. Earthquakes, thunderclaps, and fire bombs shook the ground. Billowing ash, falling cinders, and forest fires blackened both the landscape and the daytime sky, while at night, the horizon glowed fiery red. When the field again grew quiet, a classic example of a cinder cone, Sunset Crater Volcano, loomed over a dramatically altered land of lava flows and cinders.
Today, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument protects 3,040 acres representing the Colorado Plateau's most recent volcanic eruption. It is the youngest, least-eroded cinder cone in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, and it may be one of the longest-lived cinder cone volcanoes, with an eruptive cycle that may span more than 100 years. Much of the ground surface is covered by lava flows or deep volcanic cinder deposits; at first glance, the landscape still appears stark and inhospitable. But look again - within the dramatic geologic features are small islands of pine and aspen trees, desert shrubs, and wildflowers. These provide small but unique habitats for wildlife as well. Slowly but surely, life returns.
The significance of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument extends beyond the geological events themselves. The powerful geologic processes that formed the volcano profoundly affected the way of life of local inhabitants during the 11th and 12th centuries and forever changed both the landscape and the ecology of the area. This volcano and its relatively undeveloped landscape provide an unparalleled opportunity to study plant succession and ecological change in an arid volcanic landscape.
Total size: 3,040 acres
Location:
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is 16 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona.
Historical Facts:
Sunset Crater's volcanic field was crucial to the Sinagua, Anasazi and Cohonina who lived here in the 12th and 13th centuries. The eruption of Sunset Volcano during the winter of 1064-65 made the surrounding land infertile, forcing the prehistoric people further afield until they left the area permanently within 200 years. John Wesley Powell first explored the San Francisco volcanic field as head of the U.S. Geological Survey in 1885. Powell wrote about one bright-rimmed cone in particular with red cinders that "seem to be on fire"-and he named it Sunset Peak. At the turn of century, archeologist Jesse W. Fewkes mapped and photographed the Wupatki area. As excavations began, scientists pieced together the story of how an ancient farming people fled the volcano and, much later, returned to build settlements. It is believed that the present-day Hopi are descended from the former inhabitants of this region.
Designation Date: May 26, 1930, by President Herbert Hoover.
Watch the Clip
The best view of Sunset Crater is from above. The best light on the volcano is at sunset when the oxidized cinders glow their brightest.
>>Free software downloads: Windows Media - Quicktime
Windows Media file:
PC compatible
Low 114 KB | High 574 KB
QuickTime movie:
Macintosh/PC compatible
855 KB
Learn More:
Sunset Crater Nearby Attractions/NPS
Sunset Crater Accessibility/NPS
Sunset Crater In Depth Information/NPS
Sunset Crater Nature and Science/NPS
Sunset Crater Plan Your Visit/NPSl
Sunset Crater Info for Teachers/NPS
Sunset Crater Photo Gallery/NPS
Managing Agency:
National Park Service
Flagstaff Area National Monuments - SUCR
6400 N. Hwy 89
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Visitor Information
928-526-0502
