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Hiking and Skiing Sunset Crater National Monument

story and photos by Bruce Grubbs

" A Miocene crane fossil, thought to be about ten million years old, was found in Nebraska and is structurally identical to the modern Sandhill crane, making it the oldest known bird species still surviving! - www.savingcranes.org "

Getting Started

Coconino National Forest Peaks Ranger District 5075 N. Highway 89 Flagstaff, AZ 86004 (928) 526-0866 www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/

Sunset Crater National Monument Flagstaff Office 400 N. Highway 89 Flagstaff, AZ 86004 (928) 526-0502 www.nps.gov/sucr/

What to do in the winter when the forest around Flagstaff is too muddy to hike but there's not enough snow to ski or snowshoe? Check out Sunset Crater National Monument. This small unit of the National Park system is located 12 miles northeast of Flagstaff off U.S. 89. Numerous lava flows and volcanic cinder cones, of which Sunset Crater is the newest, created a lunar-like landscape. In fact, moon-bound astronauts trained here as part of the Apollo program. Sunset Crater erupted in 1066 a.d. and got its name from the reddish cinders that line the crater rim.

Although Sunset Crater itself is closed to hiking, skiing and snowshoeing because of severe erosion and scarring, the rest of the national monument and the surrounding Cinder Hills area of the Coconino National Forest is open to hiking. And skiing, on the few occasions there's enough snow. Because the area lies in the lee of the 12,000-foot San Francisco Peaks, the Cinder Hills rarely get more than a few inches. There are exceptions - in January 1992, a single storm dumped more than five feet of snow on Sunset Crater, creating some surreal cross-country skiing (see photo, top left).

Most of the time, snow melts quickly on the black cinders. Winter hiking is usually excellent because the cinders absorb the snowmelt without getting muddy. There are two trails within Sunset Crater National Monument. The Lava Flow Trail has interpretive signs that explain the various volcanic features along the easy 1-mile loop. The Lenox Crater Trail climbs gently .6 miles up a forested slope to a viewpoint on the rim of Lenox Crater.

But the real hiking gems are found on cross-country walks. Although the monument staff discourage the general public from hiking cross-country because of the jagged lava flows, and falls on steep cinder slopes can certainly remove some skin, there is plenty of safe hiking on the gentler cinder slopes. One of my favorites is the 2.3-mile walk around the rim of what I call "Bonita Crater," an unnamed cinder cone just east of Bonita Lava Flow. From the Lava Flow Trailhead, drive .7 miles further east on the park road, and park in a pullout on the left at a point where the cinder field on the left rises to road level. From here it's easy to walk north along the gentle slopes, with Bonita Lava Flow to your left. After .5 miles, you'll come to the south rim of Bonita Crater. Stay left, and climb the rim clockwise. The high point is graced with ponderosa pines and has a 360-degree view of Bonita Lava Flow, Sunset Crater and the Cinder Hills. To complete the loop, continue following the rim until you reach the south side of the crater, and then retrace your steps to return to your vehicle.

Bruce Grubbs he is an active outdoor writer and and photographer with 20 books in print. His "day job" is flying air charters. His web site is www.brucegrubbs.com.