Flagstaff · San Francisco Volcanic Field · National monument
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Walk the Lava Flow Trail at the foot of a cinder cone that erupted around 1085, then follow the 34-mile loop road through the pines and down to the pueblos of Wupatki.
Opens the NPS fees page. One $25 vehicle pass covers Sunset Crater and Wupatki for 7 days, and the monument takes cards only. Through Oct 21, 2026, the south entrance road is closed, so come in from the north through Wupatki.
Details checked October 2026
Type
National monument
Cinder cone, lava trails and a scenic loop
Admission
$25 per vehicle
Covers Wupatki too, 7 days. Card only; passes OK
Hours
Trails and drive open 24/7
Visitor center 9–4:30 daily; closed 3 holidays
Time needed
About 1 hour
Lava Flow Trail loop, per NPS; loop drive about 1 hr
Parking
Visitor center & trailhead lots
No posted RV length limit; ask a ranger
Last eruption
About 1085
Arizona’s most recent volcanic eruption
What you’ll see
A young volcano you can walk around
Most visits combine three things: a walk on the lava flow, a long look at the cinder cone and a drive around the 34-mile loop.
Start here
The Lava Flow Trail
This 1-mile loop crosses the Bonito Lava Flow at the base of Sunset Crater, past jagged lava and other volcanic features, and NPS says to allow about an hour. The upper quarter-mile loop is paved concrete and accessible for wheelchairs, walkers and strollers, and there are accessible restrooms at the trailhead parking area.
RV tip: leashed dogs are welcome on the paved section, and there’s a pet waste station at the trailhead. Pets aren’t allowed on the unpaved outer loop, so take turns if you want to walk the full mile.
More to see
- The cinder coneSunset Crater rises about 1,000 feet above the land around it and takes its name from the rusty red cinders near the top. The trail to the summit closed in 1973 because of erosion, so you admire it from below.
- Lenox Crater TrailWant a summit anyway? This 1.6-mile round trip climbs a neighboring cinder cone through ponderosa pines, with views of Sunset Crater and the San Francisco Peaks. NPS rates it moderately strenuous; allow about 1.5 hours.
- Bonito Vista & A’a trailsTwo short add-ons: the paved, accessible Bonito Vista Trail (0.3 mile round trip) looks out across the lava flow, and the A’a Trail (0.25 mile) shows off rough, jagged a’a lava up close.
- The loop road to WupatkiThe scenic loop runs 34 miles from US-89 through Sunset Crater and Wupatki, dropping nearly 2,000 feet from pine forest to red rock and Painted Desert views. Your entrance pass covers both monuments; allow about an hour of driving.
Why go
A thousand-year-old eruption you can walk across
Around the year 1085, the ground here split open along a fissure nearly 6 miles long and fountained lava hundreds of feet into the air. Falling cinders piled up into Sunset Crater, and lava poured out to form the Bonito and Kana’a lava flows. It was the most recent eruption in Arizona, in a volcanic field of around 600 volcanoes.
For RVers it is an easy half day from Flagstaff. NPS puts the turnoff 12 miles north of town on US-89, with the visitor center 2 miles beyond, and the monument sits at about 6,960 feet, so summer days stay milder than the desert below. If you can, leave the big rig at camp and drive the loop in the tow vehicle.
The eruption reshaped the lives of the people who lived here, too. The volcano has names in Hopi, Dilzhe’e Apache and Diné, and most of the pueblos at Wupatki were built after it erupted, probably by families who moved when ash and lava buried their homes.
Photo: Nhartmannphotos on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Why it made our list
- Arizona’s most recent volcanic eruption, around 1085
- About 30 minutes from Flagstaff, per NPS
- A paved, accessible trail across a lava flow
- One $25 vehicle pass covers Wupatki too
- Trails and the scenic drive open day and night
For RVers
Taking the rig to Sunset Crater
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Check the road before you go
Through October 21, 2026, Forest Road 545 is closed between US-89 and the Sunset Crater entrance kiosk for culvert work. The monument stays open, but you reach it from the north entrance through Wupatki; NPS says the drive between the two visitor centers is about 19 miles, or 30 minutes. The road is expected to reopen October 22.
Size limits and GPS
NPS doesn’t publish a vehicle length limit for the loop road or its parking lots, and it warns that GPS units often send drivers onto rough dirt forest roads. Stay on the paved loop road, and if you drive a big rig, call (928) 526-0502 first or take your tow vehicle.
Pets on the trails
Leashed pets (6-foot leash or shorter) can go on the paved part of the Lava Flow Trail, paved roads and parking lots, and the Forest Service section of the Lava’s Edge Trail. They aren’t allowed on the A’a, Bonito Vista or Lenox Crater trails, and NPS asks you never to leave a pet in a parked vehicle.
Bring a card and layers
The monument doesn’t take cash for entrance fees, so have a credit or debit card or your pass ready, and display it in your vehicle at trailheads. At nearly 7,000 feet, nights stay cool all year, monsoon storms can build on summer afternoons, and heavy snow can fall in spring.
What visitors say about Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 4, 2026.
The lava flow lies on the land like a dream, a wonderland of rock.
National Park Service, describing the Bonito Lava Flow · nps.gov
What visitors often mention
Recurring themes in Google’s review topics
TrailsLava fieldsVisitor center
Google’s review topics point to the trails (335 reviews), the lava fields (299) and the visitor center (79), with helpful rangers (29) and paved trails (28) close behind. Yelp shows no review highlights for this listing. Checked October 4, 2026.
How far you’ll walk
Miles, from the NPS trails page. Lava Flow is a loop; the rest are round trips. Stay on marked trails, because the lava is sharp and unstable.
Good to know
Private vehicle$25 7 days, both monuments
Motorcycle$20 7 days, both monuments
On foot or bike$15 per person, 16 and older
Passes acceptedAmerica the BeautifulFlagstaff Area Annual ($45)Senior & Access
Fees from the NPS fees page, checked October 4, 2026. Cards only, no cash, and kids under 16 don’t need a pass. The remaining 2026 fee-free days for U.S. citizens and residents are October 27 and November 11.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
- Address6082 Sunset Crater Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86004
- HoursTrails and drive open 24/7
Visitor center 9–4:30 daily; closed 3 holidays - Phone(928) 526-0502
- Fees$25 per vehicle, cards only; passes accepted
- Getting thereFrom Flagstaff, take US-89 north 12 miles, turn right onto the Sunset Crater–Wupatki Loop Road and continue 2 miles to the visitor center, about 30 minutes in all. Until October 22, 2026, use the north entrance through Wupatki instead.
- ParkingLots at the visitor center and the Lava Flow Trail, both with accessible restrooms. Display your pass when you park at trailheads; NPS posts no RV length limit.
Trails and the scenic drive are open day and night, but heavy snow or storms can close them. Check the NPS alerts page before you head out.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
These are the closest Flagstaff parks we have visited and written up, nearest first. Drive times run to the monument turnoff on US-89; the visitor center is 2 miles past it.
Flagstaff RV Park
Family-run park in tall ponderosa pines on US-89, with 30/50-amp full hookups and forest trails out the back.
Flagstaff KOA Holiday
Open year-round at the foot of Mount Elden on US-89, with 50-amp pull-thrus, cabins and trails from camp.
Black Bart’s RV Park
Full-hookup pull-thrus a quarter mile off I-40 Exit 198, with a general store and a steakhouse show next door.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Trails open day and night · Visitor center 9 am–4:30 pm
Ready to walk on a lava flow?
Bring a card for the $25 vehicle pass, start with the Lava Flow Trail, and save time for the loop road to Wupatki.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and these videos. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Oleg Alexandrov (cinder cone above the meadow, our featured image; CC BY-SA 4.0), Nhartmannphotos (cone and lava flow, Why go; CC BY 4.0; a’a lava; CC BY-SA 4.0), Anita Walz (Lava Flow Trail; CC BY-SA 4.0) and the National Park Service (A’a Trail in winter; Wupatki Pueblo; public domain), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Videos: HikingGuy.com on YouTube (Lava Flow Trail hike) and Arizona Travel Ideas on YouTube (monument Short). Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
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The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the National Park Service’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the National Park Service and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument at nps.gov/sucr or (928) 526-0502. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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