Sunset Crater National Monument - October 12, 2003

Sunset Crater National Monument sits directly south of Wupatki National Monument; in fact, it is only a 15 minute drive or so away on the loop road. That is, if you follow the speed limit. On the drive, you also get to view portions of the Coconino National Forest. All of it very pretty.

Sunset Crater is a very old, dormant volcano which erupted last in the winter of 1064-1065. How they know these things I do not even pretend to know, but they do. According to the literature provided by the National Park Service, the eruption came out of a central cinder cone, which in turn ended up forming the current mountain/hill (see the center picture, above). Several years later, there were also eruptions at out vents in the side of the volcano (in 1064 and 1080), which destroyed everything that was in front of them. The other two pictures at the top of the page illustrate the Bonito Flow (1080).

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