Black Sands: The Lava Fields at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

As evening approached, we drove past Sedona and through the Coconino National Forest, where the foliage was already turning to a spectrum of red and gold that would have envied any New England postcard.

the visitor center at Sunset Crater Volcano

As the sun sunk low in the clear Arizona sky, we arrived at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, an ancient volcano and sprawling lava field.

the volcano itself

Sunset Crater is a part of the San Francisco Volcanic Field, a range of volcanoes that are still considered active. Sunset Crater itself, however, has been certified to be extinct. Its last eruption was around 1000 years ago, although the results of the violent eruption are still clearly visible in the nearby lava field.

a dead tree in the lava field

Even today, very few plants can grow in the black volcanic soil, and many of the trees that are strong enough to survive are twisted and gnarled. The ground is cracked and broken from the ancient eruption, and the lava field is covered in jagged pieces of volcanic rock. It's a surreal landscape.

the hike took us through the lava field

Much of the lava field is closed to visitors in order to preserve its unique and delicate natural features. However, there is a 1-mile loop through the Bonito Lava Flow which can take you past some amazing and otherworldly landscapes.

the volcano in the distance

The trail isn't exactly smooth! Though it's just one mile, it's steep in parts, and very uneven, as the path takes you over boulders and weird lava flows.

the trail grew steep at certain points

The volcano is inert, but there was a big scare back in 2015. Since Sunset Crater is so close to Flagstaff, it needs to be monitored carefully. A couple of years ago, weather satellites picked up smoke coming from the mountain. Before declaring a big evacuation of the town, it was discovered that the smoke was just from a small forest fire near the volcano.

there were many fallen trees - each one twisted and gnarled

If the San Francisco Volcanoes erupt again, they could cause a big problem for norther Arizona. The blast zone would cover a large part of the region. In fact, after visiting the park, I became more aware of how many places in and around Flagstaff have black volcanic soil, which just goes to show how widespread the previous eruptions had been.

exploring the lava field

Sunset Crater Volcano became a national monument in 1930 in order to protect it from a movie studio which wanted to detonate the volcano for a special effect. It was given national monument status by President Hoover due to its unique scientific and natural features. It's also just beautiful, albeit in a weird and alien sort of way.

a crack in the earth formed by the violent eruption

As we left the national monument, a rainbow cut across the sky. It was a cool, dry day, but the sun must have refracted off water vapor or ice in the atmosphere. It was our last full day in Flagstaff, and by the time we left the national monument, we were exhausted. We had had an amazing time visiting so many national parks and monuments over the past few days.

a rainbow appeared overhead just before sunset