Interesting that there are volcano fields in Arizona. We had a good time driving through the open parts and taking a short hike on the Lava Flow trail. There is parking on the side of the road and then a loop trail over the lava. Wear tennis shoes since the path is made from lava stones. Neat to see pine trees growing from lava landscapes. Also vista to view the cinder cones. There is a fee to enter the National Park or buy an America Pass which can be used all year long. The entrance fee also permits you to go to Wupakti park which is nearby. There is a road that connects the two parks but it was closed in December.

This is an interesting area if you take the walk through the lava flow. Other than that, there isn't much to recommend it. It's worth a visit but isn't a "must do." I'm not sure why it's called a crater. It's actually a volcano.

What a neat little national monument! We visited here while completing the Wupatki-Sunset Crater loop drive (which I highly recommend). Fascinating lava fields all around with cinder cones galore. There are several short hikes through the lava fields...we enjoyed the Lava Flow Trail that goes right up to the base of the Sunset Crater. We only did the paved part up to the overlook, but the trail did continue to loop out through the lava. (Note: Hiking up the cinder cones is not allowed, and a couple of trails are still closed due to damage from last year's fires.). We loved the contrasts of the black lava and soil, the green foliage dotted throughout with beautiful wildflowers, and the blue sky with white and grey monsoon clouds. Sweet!

It was an otherworldly experiences hiking through the Ah A Trail and the Lava Flow Trail. Pondering the fiery furnace that once was these lava flows and now walking upon their cooled remnants is quite an experience. The local native American verbal history seems to document what happened here and the impact it had on those peoples. It was worth the stop for a couple hours. Wish we had had the time to proceed to the 35 miles driving loop with overlook. We had lunch at picnic tables outside the visitor center. Only negative was the park ranger in the VC rather rude.

Great views, and several paths with different levels of hiking. Learn about the volcanic eruptions around 1080 CE, and their effects on the people who lived here. It is part of the same loop as Wupatki National Monument, and we viewed both. Interesting to see the changes in the land as you approach Sunset Crater from the north. The ground is still covered in cinders, which affected the way people farmed the land. You are not able to hike up the volcano, but there are concrete trails around the base with information about the volcano. The A'a trail goes down into a lava field, with steep and slippery slopes. Be careful not to cut yourself on the volcanic rocks--they are sharp and will scrape you up if you fall. We viewed them from the overlook, which was amazing enough. The gigantic waves of volcanic chunks of rock give you a glimpse of the power of the lava. There is a small museum, with restrooms, and a few gift items.