Before arriving I saw the description of the park describing a lava flow. I was surprised when we turned a corner into the left was this huge area of black volcanic rock. You can follow a trail to experience this geographical Wonder.

The sunset crater volcano is awesome. The lava flow trail is extremely unique. If you didnt know you were in northern arizona you would think you were in Hawaii. The surrounding landscape is very interesting. I suggest you research the available hiking trails in the area because the national park service visitor brochure is very limited.

Amazing place to visit. Fortunate to see real volcano crater. One day is needed to see around this place. Lot of improvement work is going on. Will visit again once work is finished.

Sunset Crater is one of 3 stops at this shared National Monument space. The pristine scenic drive from area to area is breathtaking. The paved road is well maintained and the Visitor Center Staff are very friendly and informative regarding the monument and the history.Side note. Cell phone service maybe spotty in most areas.

Cool area surrounding a volcano. Several hiking trails abound and a neat lava field. Looked really cool with the snowfall. Visitor center provides information, a museum, and a gift shop.

Wow wow wow why have I not been here before? Visited on a Sunday afternoon. It was quiet with very few visitors. Did the easy lava flow trail with my 5, 9, and 13 year old. What a beautiful 45 minute walk ️

This is my second time at Sunset Crater. Both times, I enjoyed the unique scenery which I havent seen at other places. My SO (who hasnt ever left Cali) was astonished by the blackness of the trees, grounds and rocks. I think it was his favorite national park of this whole trip. Theres a few hikes, we did three of the five. Informative information at two of them. None of the hikes are difficult and all are relatively close together.

This is an interesting place with relaxing trails to enjoy the scenery. The trails arent strenuous and all can be done in one day. The information area was set up outside of the visitor center. Look for a helpful ranger if you need to ask questions to get the most out of your visit. The elder gentleman in charge of 411 when I stopped by was not happy to be there, helpful, or welcoming in any way. Make sure to ride thru the whole loop and see the ruins. The campsite looked awesome, but I had made plans to camp elsewhere...Ill go back through. Be prepared for no cell service, but its very soothing

Sunset Crater National Monument is a nice park to explore the volcanic area of San Francisco volcanic field. Being only a thousand years old, Sunset Crater is quite a young volcano, actually the youngest of the whole volcanic field. I found that visiting in winter makes even better views than summer because the snow offers a great contrast to the black lava fields. Also it´s very close to Flagstaff, so daytrip material.

Very convenient historical site. They are improving the sidewalks. Once complete, will be great for all ages to safely walk around and learn about this dormant volcano/lava field.

Very interesting hike along what can only be described as a Martian terrain. The rocks jagged and dry lead you through paths where at one point lava use to flow. Very cool and worth the drive.

Again, IF you are near Flagstaff this is worth a short stop. For those of us from back East, the idea there were active volcanoes in the lower 48 is a bit hard to fathom. But there were, and this is a beautiful crater. And very interesting lava field, still essentially barren of life after about 800 or 900 years.

We were very impressed with the lava flow and the walk. We didnt make it around Lenox Crater, though. Worth the entrance fee.

The monument is very small, and if you are not into hiking it is very easy to see the sights from the comfort of your vehicle. That being said, there are a number of small hikes, and for a little extra effort you can get right on the edge of some spectacular lava flows, and see the twisted jagged rocks. The interesting part is when you leave along the scenic highway, and drop two thousand feet over a few miles. As you near the other national monument, the terrain changes from volcano to mountain forest to dry scrub desert, with the reds and pinks in the background. A truly beautiful experience.

We visited Sunset Crater National park in mid June. This was during the Covid outbreak so they were not charging to visit. We spent some time on the lava trail hike and saw a lot of the park. It’s very hot when you are hiking on top of the black lava rock so bring some water. There also is no restrooms past the parking lot so make sure you take care of things before going to far.

First time in my life to see, touch and walk on volcanic lava. Amazed at how much forces exist in the earth that pushed out so much material to build such a mountain. There is a walking trail along the base of the mountain. Was told by the guide that the black colors come from the iron content in the lava and the brown patches are rusted iron. You cannot go up the mountain as it regarded sacred to local native population and also was told that the iron content acts like very sharp knives and would damage your skin. YOU CANNOT TAKE ANY SAMPLES AWAY.....ITS A FEDERAL CRIME TO REMOVE ANYTHING FROM THE SITE. Just take pictures and kill nothing but time!!!

Nice weather and a really nice hike spot. The park is clean and for now its actually free to get in. We love coming here and San Francisco peaks had snow on them in late June! Awesome place to bring your family and learn about the history of this part of this great state.

Highly recommend this place! Be aware that the East entrance of the Grand Canyon off 89 is closed. This Crater is a VERY BEST alternative!

When they say crater, I expect a crater. There is no crater you can actually see here nor hike to. The worst part is they charge $25 for very little offering, pretty much just a 1-mile mild hike. The lava flow is cool, unique, as all the other reviews suggest. I did not go to the pueblos because by the time I drove 19 miles from the entrance I was too disappointed. Waste of $$$ only if you expect to see an actual volcano crater.

Although visitors can no longer hike or drive up to the crater, there is plenty to see and do. The visitor center is also closed due to covid-19 protocol; however, there is a national park ranger out front handling out maps and brochures. At this point in time the restrooms were all still open. You may walk around the lava flow, or drive out of 30 mile Loop and check out very easily accessed Indian ruins from the ancient Pueblo Indians. There is a fee.

A must see if youre anywhere near Flagstaff AZ!!! The lava flow and the cinder cone are amazing, and you wont see anything like it anywhere else ( except maybe Hawaii or Mt St Helens) in the US! Very handicapped accessible trails to see the sights.

Being quite a recent volcano it is amazing to walk around the lava fields. The rock is black and everywhere, with sparse vegetation.Not many places like this in the continental US. Usually have to go to Hawaii or Iceland to see lava this fresh.

Fun hike spot. Took us a little while to figure out where to start but the view was insane and it was really cool walking on the lava

Spectacular lava flows and history. Dog friendly.

Interesting place to visit. Wear very comfortable shoes if you wish walk on the actual lava. There are paved paths as well. But it is fun to touch the pieces of lava. Sorry I didnt take photos, but you can go to there website.

Beautiful drive from Wupatki to here. Wupatki has a hidden surprise ... dont miss! Liked the lava rock trails. Didnt understand i was just driving by volcano. Half way between the 2 NP theres an incredible vista. Make sure to pull off and take a look. ♡ Couldnt capture with camera. Amazing.

This was Ana amazing place that I never heard about before this trip. Light hike with some informational signs. Currently with Co-Vid no fees to access the park.

Great place. Enjoyed our walk. It you visit make sure you have patience as there is limited parking

Nice visit. Interesting hike through the lava fields. Old Indian village very nicely preserved, well worth the next 15 mile ride painted dessert also lovely

What a great place to see such a unique part of Arizona. And because its where an active volcano had spread ash there is a lot of different sceneries as you drive.Since we live in Flagstaff this was a nice get away!

It is a great place to visit. We hiked the lava flows, which were only 1000 years old. They looked as though they just cooled off. This is my first up close experience of lava fields. Really remarkable.

Didn’t expect to hike through a volcanic crater in Arizona! $25 to get in but also includes Wupatki NM. Would recommend visiting!

Beautiful, wonderful. Energy around the volcano. We took our shoes off at one of the scenic hills with tiny volcanic rocks on the ground feels great on your feet helps with the altitude sickness we were feeling nauseous and had headaches that went away after we walked around in our stocking feet for about 15min.

Great scenic drive through the mountains with lots of places to stop and take picture of and the pueblo ruins where amazing

Its been a few years but I remember this as a nice, quiet, catch your breath spot after leaving the Grand Canyon. Just very peaceful and a nice change of scenery for an easterner.

Nice National Monument with lots of volcanic rock. If you love volcanoes this is a must see place!

Educational for young ones. great to walk around lava field. beautiful scenery.

A great national monument to visit with a 900 year old lava flow. Includes a loop trail suitable for wheelchair as well as foot paths.

Absolutely amazing! Loved walking through the lava fields. Views are amazing.

Just gorgeous. Its rare to see this type of landscape; you should take advantage if you have the opportunity. There are plenty of places here for those who cant do difficult hikes. Many paved trails.

Like stepping onto another planet. The lava fields are so cool. Be sure to check out the overlook view of all the hills on the main road.

Gorgeous sidebar very close to Flagstaff. Close to historic Route 66 and well worth a small detour.

This place is a legend. The crater is so astonishingly big and the vegetation that has come up after the sunset crater exploded 1000 years ago is just brilliant. Getting to walk and touch real volcanic eruption is just an experience from another world. Must visit if you are driving to or from the Antelope Canyons

We had a lot of fun hiking on the trails and seeing the lava flows.

Attentive and knowledgeable rangers.Real bathrooms are open and clean at the entrance.The stamps were right next to the pamphlet/map for in not missing them.Much cooler, enjoyable, and beautiful than I thought it would be. I just I had time for the one hike path I had to forego due to timing on my part.I just wish that @MitzythePomPom (my recently deceased medical service dog) could have enjoyed being alive. She would have had a wonderful time and enjoyed the nice, cool yet warm weather.

It was quite disappointing that the crater was closed and we couldn’t get to the top to see it. But the amazing winter view of the park made it up for it.We took the Lava flow trail. It was a 20 minutes walk. We really enjoyed the view. There were lava rocks all over the sides of the pavement.It’s worth a visit!!

We did not plan on going to this place just came across it by chance, changing our plans to stop. It was amazing where can you walk in volcano fields.

One of the best places to ride you motorcycle. Either way you go. Sooooo much fun!!!

Really fabulous with nice signs as well.

Cant see anything worth the sunset. Close to it was lava flows. Will definitely go there again.

Even winter you get to see that color stones or rocks that caused by that volcano eruptions! Beautiful area!

Awesome place to visit. Very unique place to visit and lots of types of lava flows to see.

Very interesting. Did not realize these were here until I was traveling from Flagstaff to Page, AZ. This is a National monument/park area and there is an entrance fee. By the National Parks Pass and use it for this and for a short trip up to Zion, Bryce and Cedar Breaks in Southern Utah. Also know if you like to camp for free, there are lots of nice forest roads around the area for dry camping in the cooler summer climate in the Coconino National Forests around Flagstaff. Coconino is the largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine Forest in the US. There are walking paths for handicapped as well.

Never saw lava flow like what is there. It was very interesting. Visitor y closed due to virus.

Amazing wide open spaces! A lot of volcanic rock around & size varies depending on where you go. Great place for a day trip or even over night! Be sure to check out the visitor center to know the best places to go.

Been here multiple times kids always love it. you get up close and personal which is awesome.

This is a hidden jewel! Very highly recommended! Seeing the lava flow was a surprise. I never knew we had this in Arizona!

I really love this spot theres not much to do there but theres beautiful plants theres a beautiful site and when the sun set comes down, its perfect.

Great storytelling but the park service. Clean area, nice walking trails. Very interesting place that I didnt know existed.

Absolutely beautiful! Great trails! Its amazing to see how life is returning since the eruption from around 1085 CE.

Otherworldly scenery. Fun and easy to hike for kids as well.

Peaceful and small. Can be covered in about 1-1.5 hours

So pretty! Great place for a hike

Sunset Crater Natl Monument is so awesome.One of the many road trips we have taken and Arizona has been one of my favorites to date.Flagstaff has 3 National Monuments to explore. Sunset Crater is one of them.Here are some fun facts about this National Monument:* Youngest, least eroded cinder cone in the San Francisco Volcanic Field* Its covered by lava and volcanic cinder deposits* Eruption was about 900 years agoIf you are in the Flagstaff area, this is something you need to check out. Especially because it is one of the coolest things to be able to walk on lava rock.There are a ton of places to hike to as well which offer different views of the crater.

Go enjoy but leave it the way you found it

This is a beautiful volcanic field with some of the most colorful and vibrant cinder cones out there. I highly recommend visiting, the only reason I’m giving a 4 star is because I wish there was more area near the cinder cone that we could walk on rather then just the lava field beneath it, but nonetheless, it was stunning.

I love the lesser know NPS sites. Really well set up.

I mean, what place can you experience the high desert AND climb a volcano AND walk through a legit lava field all in a few minutes.Climb the Lennox trail a mile or so down from the welcome center. The lava field is right across the road from the Lennox Trail.Take a nice 15-20 minute climb up to the rim and look down inside the volcano.Seriously, it is pretty cool.

Ive never seen anything like this. Beautiful views and wonderful hiking trails.

Came to enjoy a picnic lunch. Volunteer recommended picnic tables at Lava Flow Trail. Windy but a nice location.

Really cool. Couldve used rangers at stops along the way for my questions. Never seen anything like this.

Solid experience for the kids, and us too actually. Crazy to see and not just imagine the destructive power of lava eruptions.

Simple and beautiful park with a few short trails (sub 5 miles)

Great National Monument just north of Flagstaff Arizona. Unfortunately, we were there during the government shutdown, so the Visitor Center was closed. However, the Monument and all the trails were open. The trails range from 0.2 to a little over 3 miles. Two of the trails at the end of wheelchair accessible. There are public restrooms available at the Visitor Center and at the end of the monument at the Lava Flow Trail. Great views of the volcano and the resulting lava flows. Also, spectacular views of the San Francisco mountain range. All in a very compact area. You can easily do the entire monument and hike all of the trails in a single day.

I just learned about this National Park through a neighbor in a hotel and was really truly quite surprised how amazing the visit was. Im quite shocked that this National Park is not even better known because Ive never seen anything like this especially the field of lava going on from miles. The hiking area was just so well-maintained, with lots of Great Signs identifying the plans and different natural phenomenon. What a wonderful surprise discovered by pure accident

Amazing lava flows up close. Some nice hiking trails that let you get up close and personal with some lava flows and great scenery.

This place is otherworldly. It has several different types of lava rock, crags, and black sand. Its hauntingly beautiful.

I dont get of on lava flows but this place is very nice

Amazing place. Must see the Lava river

You cannot climb the actual volcano anymore but the nearby Lenox crater gives a view of a crater. The lava flow trail below sunset crater is stunning to see and explore, the trail takes you through the lavas path and is marked with several points including a lava tunnel that has cool air blowing out even in July.

A lunch stop as part of a longer tour. We had hoped to enjoy a picnic table under the tall cool pines at the Visitor Center, but alas, it was raining. The Visitor Center has some very nice displays, helpful rangers, and good restrooms. There is also adequate parking. It cleared later so we could briefly see a bit of the park.Getting up close and personal to the volcanic activity which shaped this park is provided by paved walking trails with parking and restrooms at the featured stops. There are also maintained hiking trails around the base of the volcano, but climbing the cone is unsafe and therefore prohibited.

Worth visiting!!! Volcanic formations are just awesome.

Really neat spot with a few cool trails to see the lava flows and quiet campgrounds to relax and get away for awhile.

Awesome. The dried lava flows look otherworldly. Simple hiking and beautiful scenery. Fun for the whole family.

Admission to the park is $25 but well worth it. The lava flows are incredible and its awesome to see such an abundance of black sand. Would highly recommend if youre just passing through or looking to pass some time.

Awesome specter of the cinder fields, as well as the walking trail through the lava flows. Very unique! Vista point had views of the painted desert in the distance.

Great place, so cool. Walking path and plenty sights to see

My family and I was so blown away by this area. Wed only planned on spending about 30 minutes here on our way to the Wupatki National Monument but ended up spending about three hours because we were so blown away by the scenery. We did the Aa hike and the Lava Flow Trail. I wish we could have done more. Both trails were absolutely breathtaking. Neither of them were very long, but we took a while to do them because the black volcanic dirt on the trails and the view of the snow-capped mountains in Flagstaff and the volcano behind you - it was just amazing. Pictures do not do it justice!

What a beautiful place. The volcano erupte in 1040ish AD and you can imagine how this place would have been at that time based on the ashes that you can see. A well managed place, there are signs everywhere that helps and restrooms are neat. Plan to be here for the entire day if you love trails. And ofcourse, dont forget to click, there are several views that are wallpaper worthy.

Awesome volcano and trail

Great location to visit! Very unique park and so glad to visit.

Must see!!! Amazing to be here ealking in lava flows

The volcano looks more like a hill. The crater view point is very nice to see the sounding landscape, but dont expect to be in a typical book-like volcano crater. View point is a small roundabout, thus careful taking a long RV up there.

Enjoyed this National park. We got there right before closing but they didnt rush us out. They answered questions for us and even told us of another park that we would love.

Very nice park with lots of interesting facts about the area.

Absolutely gorgeous path to hike on, amazing volcanic rock, and absolutely best place for photography in Flagstaff

Very scenic and pretty. Also not crowded. Beautiful vista and walk on lava flow trails

Third visit here in 35 years. Great little park with nice examples of volcanic activity. Excellent hiking/walking trails for all. Highly recommend.

Very interesting park! Lots of geography and cultural sites. Definitely recommend stopping by!

The pictures of this place do not do it justice. You cannot really appreciate the scale and color of the volcano without seeing it in person. The views back in to the desert valley as well as to Mount Humphrey’s in the distance are equally as amazing.