Sunset Crater National Monument Visitors Center, North of Flagstaff

Here's the sign for Sunset
Crater Volcano National

Monument

The Visitors Center

Educational displays

for this unique area.

The topography here looks

like the face of the moon.

Souvenirs for sale

Eric chats with the Park
Rangers.

Spanish friars established a mission in the area dedicated to Francis of Assisi in this area in 1629.  The nearby mountains were named San Francisco, for the saint.

This area had active volcanoes around 1,000 AD.  The resulting lava fields, cinder fields and volcanic crater tell the story of violent change.