| Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument | |
|---|---|
| IUCN category III (natural monument or feature) | |
| Location | Coconino County, Arizona, USA |
| Nearest city | Flagstaff, AZ |
| Coordinates | 35°22′10″N 111°32′37″W / 35.36952°N 111.54348°W / 35.36952; -111.54348 |
| Area | 3,040 acres (1,230 ha) |
| Established | May 26, 1930 |
| Visitors | 158,819 (in 2010) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona, created to protect Sunset Crater, a cinder cone within the San Francisco Volcanic Field. The monument is managed by the National Park Service in close conjunction with nearby Wupatki National Monument. In 1928, a Hollywood film company - Famous Players-Lasky Corporation - planned to detonate large quantities of explosives on the side of Sunset Crater in order to create an avalanche for Zane Grey's motion picture, "Avalanche". Public outcry over this plan led in part to the proclamation of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument by President Herbert Hoover in 1930.
A one-mile (1.6 km) self-guided loop trail is located at the base of Sunset Crater but hiking to the summit is not permitted. A trail providing access to the summit and crater was closed in 1973 because of excessive erosion caused by hikers. A visitor center is located near the park entrance, 15 miles (24 km) north of Flagstaff, Arizona, along U.S. Highway 89.
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