Welcome to Travel Tuesday! There are a bunch of short little hikes to go on at the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument!
We got here in the afternoon (after heading back from the Grand Canyon) and were still able to do just about every hike there was (yay)! It’s definitely different the hikes I usually go on! (I usually opt for bodies of water/forests.)
Parking: Free with entry ($25, but free if you have the annual park pass!)
4 Short Hikes in Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
A’a Lava Trail
Ok, so this is barely a trail, but since you’re here anyway, you might as well do it too! It brings you over jagged blocks of basaltic a’a lava that was formed by the Bonito Lava Flow (cooled >900 years ago)!
Distance: 0.2 miles (loop)
Elevation: 0 ft
Difficulty: Super easy
Duration: <10 minutes
Trailhead Address: 35.36362, -111.52290
Bonito Vista Trail
Paved + wheelchair-accessible. This trail gives you an expansive view of the Bonito Lava Flow + the surrounding volcanoes.
Distance: 0.3 miles (out + back)
Elevation: 3Ā ft
Difficulty: Super easy
Duration: <10 minutes
Trailhead Address: 35.36271, -111.51851
Lava Flow Trail
Walk along the base of the Sunset Crater Volcano! (Pets are allowed on the paved portion of the trail.)
Distance: 0.8 miles (loop)
Elevation: 72Ā ft
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: <20 minutes
Trailhead Address: 35.36324, -111.51831
This brings you over jagged blocks of basaltic a’a lava that was formed by the Bonito Lava Flow (cooled >900 years ago)!
Lava’s Edge Trail
Distance: 3.4 miles (out + back)
Elevation: 173Ā ft
Difficulty: Easy
Duration:Ā ~2-2.5 hours
Trailhead Address: 35.36380, -111.52326
This is a longest trail of the bunch but it’s great for wandering around the lava field and brings you over the loose cinders and rough basalt of the Bonito Lava Flow.
In the spring, there are usually wildflowers and in the winter, there’s generally a light coating of snow. (We went in early summer, so not much of either, hehe.)
Pets are allowed in the U.S. Forest section of this trail only (talk to a ranger for clarification).
- What constitutes a “hike” to you?
- Where’s the last place you traveled to?
- Check out the Lenox Crater Trail too!
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Thanks for the info. I love that the trails are short and sweet, because we always take our kids! And they would love this unique place!
Aww, they definitely would! It was a fun place to explore! :]
These trails look great. It’s nice to try out some different trails to see different landscape.
Agreed! There’s so much variety out there! :]
These 4 short hikes at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument are perfect when you are short on time! But theyāre not short on great views. Beautiful place to hike.
Very true! It was an awesome place to check out! :]
Wow – another place I did not know existed! What’s funny is your photos from the Sunset Crater NM look similar to scenes we encountered at Craters of the Moon NM in Idaho (check our blog if you’re curious) – volcanic areas are so otherworldly! Thanks for sharing.
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Ooo, definitely gonna have to check that out! I wanted to go there too but haven’t had a chance to yet (it has such a cool name)!
There is something so cool about lava fields like this!
What do you count as a hike? Normally I guess anything that is over 5km…unless it is in town, then I don’t really think of it as a hike unless it is more than 15km… Since we moved to Canada we count it as a hike once we have been sworn at by a squirrel. ;)
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Y’know, that’s a really good question. I guess anything over 3 miles would feel a little more like a hike to me (also unless it’s in town, although I hear urban hiking is also a thing?)–I don’t actually know where the “real hike” cut-off is (or if there even is one)!
hahaha, that’s a good way to go by it! :P
What a unique are to go on a hike through! It’s great that there are a few options for shorter hikes if you’ve not got a lot of time on your hands.
Agreed! We were definitely happy to not have to miss out! :]
What an interesting spot! So cool to learn about how it was all formed. I also like how they have a wheelchair accessible hike. Thatās pretty awesome. Sounds like a hiking area for all ages and abilities. Very cool!
I definitely liked the variety/options they had available! :]
It seems to be a very fun place! This would be a great spot to explore with family.
thanks for all the info,
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It was cool to explore–definitely seems like a good place for families to explore with all the varying difficulty levels/lengths it had available! :]
These look like some amazing hiking trails. And I like that they are fairly short. Even though I enjoy hiking, I prefer a few shorter trails rather than one long one and it seems that this area offers just that. Beautiful pictures….
I get what you mean! I love being able to explore a bunch of different areas so it’s helpful when there are a lot of short trails that are fairly close to each other! Otherwise, I end up on the long ones and hope for the best!
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