Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

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Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
Location	Arizona, USA
Nearest city	Flagstaff, AZ
Coordinates	35°22′56″N 111°30′38″W / 35.38222, -111.51056
Area	3,040 (12.30 km²)
Established	May 26, 1930
Total visitation	200,000 (est) (in 2004)
Governing body	National Park Service

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona, intended to protect Sunset Crater, a cinder cone that is part of the San Francisco Volcanic Field. It is maintained by the National Park Service in close conjunction with nearby Wupatki National Monument. In the late 1920s, a Hollywood film company attempted to detonate large quantities of explosives inside Sunset Crater in order to simulate a volcanic eruption. Public outcry over this plan led in part to the proclamation of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument by President Herbert Hoover in 1930.

A one mile (1.6 km) self-guiding loop trail is located at the base of Sunset Crater but hiking to the summit is not permitted. A trail providing access to the summit and crater was closed in 1974 because of excessive erosion caused by hikers. A visitor center is located near the park entrance, 12 miles (19 km) north of Flagstaff, Arizona along U.S. Highway 89.

Sunset Crater Volcano, Arizona

External links

• National Park Service webpage of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
• U.S. Geological Survey webpage of Sunset Crater
• U.S. Geological Survey virtual field trip of Sunset Crater

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Sunset Crater Volcano

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