Historical Markers in Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona
Flagstaff is the county seat for Coconino County
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is in Coconino County
Coconino County(236) ► ADJACENT TO COCONINO COUNTY Gila County(41) ► Mohave County(100) ► Navajo County(130) ► Yavapai County(150) ► Kane County, Utah(118) ► San Juan County, Utah(47) ►
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They dominate the horizon, rising 12,633 feet (3851 m) to Arizona's highest point. Visible for miles from all directions, they stand guard over a land which has long sustained people in spirit and natural resources. All of the region's Native . . . — — Map (db m41664) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m41676) HM
Buried under Sunset Crater's lava and cinders are perhaps dozens of pithouses. Those excavated revealed few artifacts; even building timbers had been removed. This suggests people had ample warning of the impending eruption.
The changed . . . — — Map (db m41693) HM
Erupting less than 1,000 years ago, Sunset Crater is the youngest in an impressive field of volcanoes all around you. The 1,000-foot-high (305m) cinder cone we see today formed when basalt magma rose directly to the surface through a primary vent. . . . — — Map (db m41665) HM
The landscape before you has existed on Earth for less than 1,000 years, less time than Romanesque architecture or paper money. Consequently, this environment has unique scientific value.
Geologists come here to study weathering processes and . . . — — Map (db m41691) HM
About 1,000 years ago, something spectacular happened in the lives of local Native peoples. Perhaps they first observed a change in animal behavior. Maybe they noticed the ground warming. Then the tremors increased in number and intensity. By the . . . — — Map (db m41689) HM
As a living ancestral homeland to the Hopi, Zuni, Yavapai, Havasupai, Navajo, Western Apache, and Southern Paiute, Sunset Crater is remembered, revered, and cared for.
People return often, bringing prayers and engaging in timeless traditions. . . . — — Map (db m41678) HM
