Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Coconino County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
As Powerful as a Volcano
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., November 8, 2010
1. As Powerful as a Volcano Marker
Cinder cones erode easily and scars are slow to heal. In 1973, Sunset Crater was closed to climbing when 2-foot-wide trails eroded to 60-foot-wide swaths. Tons of cinder were shoveled back up the cone to fill hip-deep trenches. Notice the scars still visible today.
Plants will eventually return to areas where cinders are left undisturbed. Walking in barren areas dislodges soil particles forming between the cinders. Give plants a chance; stay on the trail.
What if...
...Flagstaff residents hadn't stopped a movie company from dynamiting Sunset Crater in 1928?
What if it wasn't protected today?
Outside the park, other cinder cones are dismantled for building and landscaping materials.
Human activities can level a mountain almost as fast as nature can create one.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1973.
Location. 35° 21.752′ N, 111° 31.004′ W. Marker is in Sunset Crater Volcano National
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Life and Landscape Transformed (within shouting distance of this marker); The Power to Symbolize (within shouting distance of this marker); Changes to Come (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Birth of a Mountain (about 300 feet away); "The Peaks" (approx. 2.3 miles away); Geological Infant (approx. 2.3 miles away); Bushmaster Park (approx. 11.2 miles away); The Museum Club (approx. 11.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
Also see . . . Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. (Submitted on April 13, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., November 8, 2010
2. As Powerful as a Volcano Marker
Looking toward the cinder cone
Photographed By Unknown, 1940
3. Sunset Crater Volcano Photo on Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., 1970
4. Sunset Crater Volcano Photo on Marker
Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 28, 2002
5. Sunset Crater Volcano
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on April 13, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 668 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 13, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 5. submitted on April 14, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.
