National monument

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is a national monument run by the National Park Service in Coconino County, Arizona. Entrance is $25 per vehicle. It is open 24 hours a day, year-round.

Current notices posted by the managing agency. Checked Sept. 30, 2026.

  • Closure: Road Closure: Sunset Crater Volcano September 21 through October 21 Beginning September 21, Forest Road 545 will close to all vehicle traffic starting near the intersection with Highway 89A to the Sunset Crater Volcano entrance kiosk for culvert work. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument remains OPEN and accessible via Forest Road 545 through Wupatki National Monument. Plan for extra travel time, the drive between visitor centers is about 19 miles/30 minutes. T Since Aug. 24, 2026. Until Oct. 23, 2026.

Check current closures and fire restrictions for Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument on the managing agency's own page.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Photo: Anita Walz, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument map

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.

View larger map Open in Google Maps Directions

Fire restrictions

No fire restriction recorded for this unit as of Sept. 30, 2026. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders below before you go.

Common questions

Entrance costs $25 per vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bicycle. Interagency (America the Beautiful) passes are accepted. The park takes no cash: pay by card or buy a pass online.
Yes. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is open 24 hours a day, year-round.

Fees, passes, and hours

Entrance costs $25 per vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bicycle. Interagency (America the Beautiful) passes are accepted. The park takes no cash: pay by card or buy a pass online.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is open 24 hours a day, year-round.

Sources: nps.gov/sucr/planyourvisit/fees, checked 2026-09-29; nps.gov/sucr/planyourvisit/hours, checked 2026-09-29.

Entrances and visitor centers

  • Sunset Crater Volcano Visitor CenterVisitor center, year-round: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.6082 Sunset Crater Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86004928-526-0502

Source: nps.gov/sucr/planyourvisit/hours, checked 2026-09-29.

Pets

They are allowed on trails.

Source: nps.gov/sucr/planyourvisit/pets, checked 2026-09-28.

Scenic drives

  • Sunset Crater-Wupatki Loop Road35 mi, paved, about 60 minutes without stops

Source: nps.gov/sucr/planyourvisit/directions, checked 2026-09-29.

Getting there

  • Nearest town: Flagstaff, AZ, 12 miles
  • The park warns that GPS and phone map directions can send you the wrong way: follow the park's own directions.
  • No public transit to the park.

Source: nps.gov/sucr/planyourvisit/directions, checked 2026-09-29.

Trails

  • Lava Flow Trail(1 mi loop, easy)Bonito Lava Flow at the base of Sunset Crater; upper 0.25 mi paved and accessible.
  • Bonito Vista Trail(0.3 mi round trip, easy)Paved accessible trail with views of the Bonito Lava Flow and volcanoes.
  • Lenox Crater Trail(1.6 mi round trip, moderate)Ponderosa forest to Lenox Crater summit views of Sunset Crater and the San Francisco Peaks.
  • A'a Trail(0.25 mi round trip, easy)Short walk among jagged a'a lava blocks from the Bonito Lava Flow.
  • Lava's Edge Trail(3.4 mi round trip, moderate)Along the Bonito Lava Flow edge; pets only on the Forest Service section.

Source: nps.gov/sucr/planyourvisit/hikes-and-trails, checked 2026-09-29.

What to see

  • HighlightSunset Crater VolcanoArizona's most recent volcanic eruption; trail access is at the base, not into the crater.
  • HighlightBonito Lava FlowBasaltic lava field with a'a blocks, cinders, and accessible lava-flow trails.

Source: nps.gov/sucr/planyourvisit/hikes-and-trails, checked 2026-09-29.

Public lands next to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.