This day trip will change how you see Arizona.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Wupatki National Monument sit along a 35-mile scenic loop road just north of Flagstaff. One entrance fee covers both parks. The landscapes could not be more different. And together, they tell one of the most fascinating connected stories we have come across in all our years of full-time RV travel.
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What You Need to Know Before You Go
Both monuments are managed by the National Park Service with a shared entrance fee of $25 per vehicle, valid for seven days. The America the Beautiful Pass also covers both parks.
The loop road connects the two monuments and is 35 miles long, traversing ponderosa pine forests, open meadows, pinyon-juniper woodland, and open grassland, with views of the San Francisco Volcanic Field, the Painted Desert, and those beautiful San Francisco Peaks. You can enter from the south off US-89 near mile marker 430 for Sunset Crater Volcano, or from the north near mile marker 444 for Wupatki. We started at Sunset Crater and drove north to Wupatki.
Plan for a full day if you want to do both parks justice. Spring and fall are the sweet spots for weather, with daytime temps between 60 and 80 degrees and manageable crowds. Summer works thanks to Flagstaff's elevation, but holiday weekends get busy, so go early. Winter is beautiful and quiet, but roads can ice over, and I’m sure the wind at Wupatki is no joke.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
The History
People had been living in and around the volcanic hills of northern Arizona for generations before any of this happened. The Hopi call them the Hisatsinom, meaning "the people who came before." They were farmers living in pithouses, tending the land they lived on.
The landscape, as it does today, changed suddenly about a thousand years ago when a new volcano emerged. Earthquakes signaled the approaching eruption. Evidence suggests people had sufficient warning to evacuate. After the eruption, pithouses for miles were burned and filled with cinders, and some were buried under lava.
The volcanic ash altered the soil chemistry across the surrounding region, helping it retain moisture far better than before. Within one generation, new villages were built. New fields planted. New lives begun. The disaster became the foundation for what came next.
Sunset Crater Volcano itself was named by explorer John Wesley Powell in 1885. He wrote, “The contrast in the colors is so great that on viewing the mountain from a distance the red cinders seem to be on fire.“
And here is a fun piece of history worth sharing. In 1928, a movie company wanted to film a landslide and proposed blowing up the crater to create it. The citizens of Flagstaff pushed back hard. President Hoover established Sunset Crater National Monument in 1930 as a result.
The Geography
Everything you see here was shaped by one event. The Bonito Lava Flow covers thousands of acres. The cinder cone rises about 1,000 feet above the surrounding landscape.
The lava here comes in two very different forms:
Pahoehoe (say it: pa-HOY-hoy) is the smooth, ropy lava. It looks almost poured, like batter that hardened mid-flow. It formed where lava moved slowly and cooled gently.
A'a (say it: ah-AH) is jagged, chunky, razor-sharp. It formed where lava moved faster, and the surface cooled and broke apart while the flow underneath kept pushing.
You will see both types on the trails. The A'a Trail is specifically designed to get you up close to the basaltic a'a lava so you can see the difference side by side.
The Trails at Sunset Crater Volcano
You cannot climb the crater itself. It is a protected geological feature. But you will see everything from the trails.
Lava Flow Trail is the main trail to do. It’s a one-mile loop, easy, and takes about an hour. The first 0.25-mile upper section is fully paved concrete and accessible for wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers. Pets are welcome only on this paved portion, with a pet station and waste bags at the trailhead. The unpaved spur section has a few steps and uneven surfaces with rocks and roots; it is not accessible. This section lets you get close to the lava.
Bonito Vista Trail is short and stunning. Just 0.3 miles round-trip, about 20 minutes, and wheelchair accessible. You walk across a cinder field on a paved path and reach a sweeping overlook of the entire lava flow, with volcanoes in every direction. This trail offers the highest payoff: you can see the lava flow with minimal effort.
A'a Trail is the quickest stop. Only 0.25 miles, 15 minutes, easy walking. This trail is unpaved and not wheelchair- or stroller-accessible due to uneven, rocky terrain. Kids especially may enjoy getting up close to the jagged basaltic a'a lava to see the difference between the lava types.
Lenox Crater Trail spurs from Bonito Vista Trail. We didn’t have time to do it, but it’s 1.6 miles round-trip (about 1.5 hours) and is moderately strenuous. It passes through ponderosa pine forests and offers views of the San Francisco Peaks. Worth it if you have the time and ability!
Lava's Edge Trail is the longest option, 3.4 miles round-trip and about 2.5 hours of moderate hiking. It is not accessible for wheelchairs or strollers due to loose cinders and rough terrain. You hike along the jagged edge of the Bonito Lava Flow under ponderosa pines. Pets are allowed only on the U.S. Forest Service section (about 2 miles round-trip). Check with the visitor center for boundary details.
Our family recommendation: If you are doing both parks in one day, do the Lava Flow Trail, A'a Trail, and Bonito Vista Trail. You will see the best of Sunset Crater Volcano without burning out before the second half of the day.
Wupatki National Monument
Wupatki National Monument protects over 2,700 cultural sites. The word "Wupatki" comes from Hopi words meaning "tall house." Wupatki Pueblo was the tallest building for at least 50 miles in any direction.
The communities here were built about 100 years after the Sunset Crater eruption. The volcanic ash that fell across the region helped soil retain moisture, making dryland farming in the surrounding area easier than ever.
By around 1182 CE, roughly 85 to 100 people lived at Wupatki Pueblo itself. Within a single day's walk, several thousand more surrounded it. Archaeologists have found so many types of pottery from the Gulf Coast and the Pacific Ocean because this was a trading hub. A gathering place for people traveling hundreds of miles from every direction.
There was no permanent water source at Wupatki. None. Almost every major Ancestral Puebloan site in the entire Southwest sits near water. Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Montezuma Castle. These people collected rainwater, farmed on terraced hillsides, managed water catchments, and built extensive trade networks.
The Sites at Wupatki
Wukoki Pueblo Trail is 2.5 miles before the visitor center. A 0.2-mile easy walk leads to a three-story tower sitting on top of a sandstone rock outcrop. You can walk into the actual rooms and see amazing views of the San Francisco Peaks.
Wupatki Pueblo Trail is located directly behind the visitor center. This 104-room pueblo is the largest free-standing pueblo in all of Northern Arizona. The 0.5-mile self-guided loop takes about 30 to 45 minutes. You will see the community room, the ball court, and the blowhole.
The blowhole is a natural crack in the earth connected to an underground cave system. When atmospheric pressure outside is higher than the pressure inside, air gets pulled in. When it is lower, air blows out. The earth is literally breathing.
Citadel and Nalakihu Trail sits 10 miles from the visitor center with parking available for oversized vehicles. Two pueblos in one stop. Nalakihu (meaning "house standing outside the village" in Hopi) is the smaller sandstone structure at the trail's start. The Citadel sits at the top of a small cinder hill and was built using both sandstone and basalt, the only pueblo in the park to use both materials. Hundreds of smaller structures, agricultural terraces, water catchments, and check dams surround it. The Citadel has never been excavated. Those walls have never been fully studied. Nobody knows what is still inside that hill.
Lomaki and Box Canyon Pueblos Trail is a 0.5-mile round-trip on rough gravel about 10 miles from the visitor center. "Lomaki" means "Beautiful House" in Hopi, and the name fits. Nine rooms built from local limestone and sandstone in the late 1100s. Both the interior and exterior walls were likely plastered when new. You can spot other walls on nearby mesas. At its peak, this was a thriving community trading with people hundreds of miles away.
RV Family Tips for Both Parks
The most natural route is to start at Sunset Crater Volcano and drive north on the loop road to Wupatki, exiting back onto US-89 when done. One entrance fee covers both monuments, and the America the Beautiful Pass is accepted.
Both parks have Junior Ranger programs, and they are completely free. Pick up a booklet at either visitor center and earn your badges. The booklets cover geology, wildlife, history, and stargazing. If your kids do not finish the booklet before you leave, a ranger can deputize an adult to take the badge home, and you can even mail the completed booklet back to the park to receive it later. We normally tackle the activities that require being in the park first and save the rest for later, so we can actually enjoy exploring. The full booklet counts toward our homeschool curriculum, so the kids complete every page before they earn their badge.
Plan for a full day. It goes fast once you are actually out there exploring.
Wupatki has zero shade, so come prepared. Bring more water than you think you need and put sunscreen and hats on everyone before you step out of the car. If you are traveling with pets, they are welcome on the paved section of the Lava Flow Trail at Sunset Crater. At Wupatki, the trails are off-limits to pets.
Both parks are designated International Dark Sky Parks. If you are camping near Flagstaff, get outside after the sun goes down. The night skies here are worth staying up for.
If you are looking for a place to camp while visiting both monuments, the Cinders OHV area is right there. We boondocked there ourselves, and it is a fantastic spot. You are literally surrounded by the same volcanic landscape you will be exploring the next day. It is free dispersed camping, and the location could not be more convenient for making this a two-day adventure instead of a rushed day trip.
Both parks have visitor centers with restrooms. The Sunset Crater Volcano Visitor Center and the Wupatki Visitor Center are both open daily from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. There are also restrooms at several trailheads throughout both parks. Neither park has a food concession or restaurant on site, so pack your own. There is a picnic area near Bonito Campground across from the Sunset Crater Volcano Visitor Center, which makes a great lunch stop between the two monuments.
Where to camp
Cinder Hills OHV Area offers free dispersed camping on Coconino National Forest land and is one of the best boondocking spots near Flagstaff. There are no designated sites, hookups, water, or restrooms, so you need to come fully self-contained. Pack in everything and pack out everything you bring. Dispersed camping is permitted in posted areas along Forest Road 776, and you can stay up to 14 days.
A couple of tips from experience: weekends can get loud with OHV traffic well into the night, so if quiet evenings matter to you, aim for a weekday stay. The volcanic cinder ground is soft like sand, which is great for riding but can be tricky to level a bigger rig. Fire restrictions may be in effect during dry periods, so always check.
One Day, Two Worlds
We started this day in a lava field. We ended it walking through rooms built by people who figured out how to build a civilization in the desert with no water source and a volcanic eruption in their recent history.
Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monument are two of the most underrated stops in the entire state of Arizona. Only 5 miles north of Flagstaff, these national monuments are worth the visit.