Often considered as one of the meteors that killed the dinosaurs, a meteor that struck the northern Arizona high desert plain some 50,000 years ago left a sizable impression. Virtually unrecognizable when driving from the pine forested Flagstaff area east toward Winslow, one must follow the directional signs, south, off I-40, and arrive at the crater’s parking lot. The visitor center is perched on a ridge of an otherwise unimpressive hillock. Because the crater is a privately owned enterprise, viewing is restricted to the center and a short rim tour. There is a nominal fee to visit.
Instructions
1. Make hotel reservations in nearby Flagstaff. Because Flagstaff is considered the gateway to the Grand Canyon, many lodging options are available. Note that 30 minutes south of Flagstaff is Sedona, Arizona, a beautiful destination known for its high-end resorts. Meteor Crater has a campground for recreational vehicles.
2. Locate Flagstaff on the Arizona map, travel west on I-40 to Exit 233 (or 239 from Winslow) and follow the directional signs south.
3. Park in the ample parking lot and pay the admission price. The visitor center has fast food, a gift shop, a museum that exhibits meteorite particles and explains astronomical/geological data from the impact and an informed staff ready to field any inquiries.
4. Inquire about a tour into the crater. Visitors will immediately identify a walking trail that extends from the rim into the depth of the crater and continues up toward the southern side. No tours are currently scheduled, but public interest may change that.
5. Take the rim tour, which is scheduled throughout the day. A guide will escort the visitors along the rim. The tour is approximately an hour and the length is less than one half mile.
6. Return to the visitor center and access one of the many telescopes located at the platforms that overlook the crater. The telescopes will allow the visitor to examine the crater floor in detail. The extensive boulder field around the perimeter of the crater’s interior appears much like a moonscape.
7. Watch the film inside the visitor center. The film tracks the course of the meteor through space as it entered the earth’s atmosphere and its subsequent crash. It will also theorize the effects the impact had on the immediate geological surroundings as well as on any plants and animals.
Tags: visitor center, directional signs, directional signs south, follow directional, follow directional signs, Meteor Crater
