A young black cinder cone and lava flow, Arizona's most recent eruption.
Photo: Mikesanchez1109 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Just north of Flagstaff, a jet-black cinder cone capped with a rust-red and yellow rim marks the most recent eruption in Arizona — Sunset Crater, which blew around 1085 AD and reshaped the landscape. Around its base spreads the jagged Bonito Lava Flow, and the cone's colorful crown is what inspired the name 'Sunset.' One fee and one 35-mile loop road tie it to neighboring Wupatki.
The signature walk is the Lava Flow Trail, a mile-long loop through the black lava at the foot of the cone, past squeeze-ups, lava bubbles, and a miniature spatter cone. The main cone is permanently closed to climbing to protect its fragile slopes, but the steep Lenox Crater Trail lets you summit a smaller adjacent cone for views of the lava field and the San Francisco Peaks beyond.
At just under 7,000 feet this is high country — summer days that run warm and can push 90, afternoon storms from July into September, and snowy winters that can close the loop road. There's no lodging in the monument and the one campground is seasonal, so Flagstaff, thirty minutes back down US-89, is the base.
Sunset Crater is the southern half of a single loop drive, and treating it as one stop is the mistake. Forest Road 545 leaves US-89 north of Flagstaff, runs past the cinder cone and the lava flows, and carries on nineteen miles north to Wupatki before rejoining the highway. One entrance fee covers both, so the loop is the visit.
Leaves US-89 about twelve miles north of Flagstaff, passes the crater and the Bonito lava flow, then climbs out of the pines and drops into painted desert on the way to Wupatki. Thirty-five miles end to end and about an hour of driving without stops — the landscape change is the reason to drive the whole thing rather than pick one end.
The highway toward Page and the Utah border, with both ends of the loop signed off it. That means you can enter at either end and come out the other without backtracking.
Pines and cinder at the southern end, open painted desert at the northern, and one road between them. It is one of the better short scenic drives in Arizona and a lot of people only ever see one end of it.
TipThe road and trails are open year-round unless snow shuts them. Roadwork is scheduled to start 21 September 2026, so check the monument's conditions page before a fall trip — US-89 links the two visitor centers if a stretch of the loop is closed.
A self-guided ~1-mile loop through the jagged black Bonito Lava Flow, with squeeze-ups, lava bubbles, and a miniature spatter cone beneath the colorful crater. Thirteen numbered stops match a trail brochure from the visitor center.
Insider tipStarts at the picnic-area parking 1.5 miles east of the visitor center, which has accessible restrooms; the upper quarter mile is paved and wheelchair-accessible. Go early for soft light on the black rock.
Plan a trip to this spot →A steep ~1.6-mile round-trip up a smaller adjacent cinder cone (since the main cone is closed to climbing), rewarding the calf-burning slog with sweeping views of the San Francisco Peaks.
Insider tipAllow about 90 minutes and wear closed shoes — the loose cinders get into everything. Fire damage closed this trail after 2022; the park lists it as open again, but confirm at the visitor center.
Plan a trip to this spot →The ~1,000-foot black cone, topping out at 8,042 feet, with its rust-red, orange, and yellow oxidized rim — the colors that inspired the name. Climbing it is permanently closed to protect the fragile slopes.
Insider tipBest color on the rim is at sunrise and sunset — it lives up to its name.
Plan a trip to this spot →Short trails and pullouts give expansive views over the lava flow and the ring of volcanoes without a strenuous hike — the 0.3-mile Bonito Vista Trail is paved and wheelchair-accessible, and the A'a Trail is a quarter-mile round trip out among the broken rock.
Insider tipBoth leave the loop road about 3.5 miles in from US-89. Bonito Vista is the accessible one, concrete the whole way with benches at the end; the A'a Trail is just as short but the footing is sharp basalt.
Plan a trip to this spot →The starting point, with exhibits on the eruption, volcanic geology, and how Ancestral Puebloan people lived through and after the event.
Insider tipStop first for the Lava Flow Trail brochure, a trail map, and current road and trail conditions.
Plan a trip to this spot →The monument sits in the shadow of Arizona's highest mountains — the contrast of black lava, colorful cone, pine, and often snow-dusted peaks is the signature view.
Insider tipThe drive toward Wupatki frames some of the best peak panoramas.
Plan a trip to this spot →At 6,960 feet the monument keeps a cool mountain climate, but summer days are warm to hot — often in the 80s and touching 90 — with dramatic July–September monsoon thunderstorms most afternoons. Winters are cold and snowy, and a storm can close the loop road. Neighboring Wupatki (~4,900 ft) sits low enough that summer temperatures there climb above 100°F, so pack layers if you visit both.
Off US-89 on the loop road shared with Wupatki.
From Flagstaff, US-89 north ~12 miles to the loop road; the visitor center is ~2 miles in (~30 min from town). The $25/vehicle fee covers both monuments, and the park takes cards only.
One campground at the monument; lodging in Flagstaff.
Right across from the visitor center — Forest Service, open May to mid-October, 44 sites split evenly between reservable on Recreation.gov and first-come. No hook-ups.
Booking tipIt closes early in 2026, on 20 September, ahead of roadwork starting the next day.
About 30 minutes away, with the full range of hotels and dining — the practical base for the Flagstaff-area loop.
Booking tipPair with Wupatki and Walnut Canyon.
Does the entrance fee cover both monuments?
Yes — a single $25/vehicle (or $20/motorcycle, $15/person) pass covers both Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki for 7 days. The park is card-only; it takes no cash.
Can I climb the main cone?
No — the main Sunset Crater cone is permanently closed to climbing to protect its fragile, erosion-prone slopes. To summit a cinder cone, hike the adjacent Lenox Crater Trail instead.
What's the must-do trail?
The Lava Flow Trail — a ~1-mile loop through the black Bonito Lava Flow at the base of the cone, with a paved, accessible quarter mile at the top end. If you want more, the Lava's Edge Trail runs 3.4 miles round-trip along the flow.
How should I prepare for altitude and weather?
You're at ~7,000 feet — bring water and sun protection, expect cool mornings, and plan around the July–September monsoon, when afternoon thunderstorms and lightning are common (hike early).
When is the best time to go?
May through October for warm days, full access, and open camping. Winter works too — the loop road is usually clear — but a storm can close it, and Bonito Campground is shut from mid-October until May.
What can I combine it with?
Pair it with Wupatki (same loop and fee) and nearby Walnut Canyon — the $45 annual pass covers all three monuments.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
