Meteor Crater

What is Meteor Crater?

The crater is a giant bowl in the high desert of northern Arizona, sitting at about 5,640 feet above sea level. It measures some 3,900 feet across and 560 feet deep, and its rim rises about 148 feet above the flat plains around it. Beneath the floor lies a thick layer of broken rock, between 690 and 790 feet of it, above the solid bedrock.

Look closely and you will notice the outline is squarish rather than perfectly round. Scientists think cracks that already ran through the rock layers shaped the blast. Fragments of the space rock carry the official name Canyon Diablo Meteorite, taken from the canyon next door.

History of Meteor Crater

The site has gone by several names over the years. Although there was once an effort to turn it into a public landmark, it has stayed in private hands. The Barringer family still owns it through their Barringer Crater Company. In November 1967 it received National Natural Landmark status. The Lunar and Planetary Institute and New York's natural history museum are among the institutions that rank it as the best-kept example of its kind.

Visiting Meteor Crater: tips

Plan a detour of about 3.7 miles from Route 66, roughly 37 miles east of Flagstaff. Because the crater is privately owned, check the official website for visiting arrangements before you go. Food, water and restrooms are within half a mile. Give yourself at least an hour or two.

The abandoned Canyon Diablo Bridge is about 7 miles away and makes a good companion stop on the same stretch.