Where is Meteor Crater Located
Meteor Crater is located in Northern Arizona about 35 miles east of Flagstaff, AZ and 20 miles west of Winslow Arizona. From Interstate 40 you’ll take exit 233 and follow the signs.
Why was Meteor Crater Formed
Meteor Crater is not actually a park run by a government agency, since the area is located on private land. This site was formed for the visitation and study of the world’s best preserved meteorite impact site, and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967. Meteor Crater is open to the public for a fee, and has all the facilities you’ll find at a park.
How do you get to Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater Airports- The majority of visitors traveling to Meteor Crater fly into Phoenix International airport, which is about 3 hours drive. Flagstaff, AZ is a half hour west of Meteor Crater, and also has a small airport with daily flights, although the cost is typically quite a bit higher than Phoenix.
Meteor Crater Car Rentals- No car rental agencies are available at Meteor Crater. There are car rentals available in Flagstaff, Phoenix, and other near by cities.
Meteor Crater Shuttles- There are no shuttles to Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater Fees and Other Costs
The Admission Fee for Meteor Crater is $15 for adults with discounts for seniors and children. This includes visitation of three viewpoints, the collisions and impacts movie, and weather permitting a guided walk. There is also a subway, gift shop and an RV campground all with reasonable prices.
Meteor Crater Weather and Climate
Meteor Crater is a desert environment with low levels of precipitation, and is characterized by hot summers, mild winters with little snowfall, and very pleasant spring and fall seasons.
When to Visit Meteor Crater
With an annual visitation of about 250,000 people, Meteor Crater is a popular destination for tourists passing through Arizona. Many of its visitors are just making a quick stop off Interstate 40, but for those interested in meteorite impacts it doesn’t get much better than this. Like most of this area Spring and Fall have the most pleasant weather, but there are indoor viewing areas for those hot summer days, or cool winter temperatures.
Meteor Crater Environment
Originally thought to be of volcanic origin Meteor Crater is a meteorite impact site that is 2.4 miles in circumference and 550 feet deep. This same impact also caused inverted topography, where the geologic layers were overturned and inverted above the rime of the crater stacked up in an order that is the opposite of how they normally occur. Geologic layers found in the crater are Coconino Sandstone, and the Toroweap, Kaibab and Moenkopi formations which are found in their expected layers within the crater.
Meteor Crater Flora and Fauna
Meteor Crater is fairly void of life. Flora includes mostly sage, blackbrush, and cacti. Wildlife in the crater is composed of several species of reptiles, as well as small mammals.
Meteor Crater Accommodations
There are no hotels located at Meteor Crater, but there is an RV park. For additional accommodations Flagstaff has many options for hotels, campground and RV parks. Winslow AZ, also has several lodging and camping options.
Meteor Crater Activities
The most popular activity at Meteor Crater is of course, viewing the crater. There are viewing platforms for you to enjoy the view on your own, as well as guided walks. Inside the visitor center there is a popular movie on impacts that is included with your admission fee, as well an interactive discovery center.
Meteor Crater Food and Drink
The only food option at Meteor Crater is Subway that is located on site. Flagstaff and Winslow are the closest towns with more food and drink options.
Meteor Crater Castle Health, Safety and Hazards
Unless another meteorite impacts the area biggest danger at Meteor Crater is the summer heat. It is very important to stay hydrated, wear sun block and get out of the sun when the temperature is just to hot. Although you probably won’t see one there are rattlesnakes so be aware.
Meteor Crater Culture and History
The impact at Meteor Crater happened about 50,000 years ago. Europeans first discovered the crater in the 1800,s and an exploration by the USGS deemed it a volcanic steam explosion. It was actually a mining engineer and businessman named Daniel Barringer that first suggested it was an impact site and hoped to strike it rich by finding large deposits of iron ore left behind by the meteorite. It was not until the 1960’s that Barringer's hypothesis that this was an impact site was confirmed. Unfortunately for Barringer, only his theory about the impact was correct, the iron had all been vaporized leaving only a big hole.
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