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OLD CAVES CRATER
Flagstaff
 |
| Exploring a geological hiccup |
Talk about a room with a view! Imagine
waking up in a cave atop an extinct volcano and seeing a 12,000 foot
massif to the west and endless prairies to the east. That's what the
Sinagua people enjoyed from a summit abode on a half moon-shaped
cinder cone east of Flagstaff.
Now known as Old Caves Crater, the
pueblo originally had as many as 80 rooms. Exactly how the encampment
was used and why it was abandoned in the early 14th century remains a
mystery, but an intriguing collection of crumbling foundations and
shallow rock shelters provide fodder for the imagination.
This cinder
cone is unusual, because unlike typical volcanoes of this type, its
lava flow happened on the summit instead of at the base. After upside
down eruptions splattered thick heaps of molten rock over the
mountain top, “geological hiccups” of steaming gasses escaping
from the gooey blobs created the maze of grottos and tunnels that are
now the highlight of a popular hiking destination.
LENGTH: up to 7 miles
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 6,660' - 7,170'
GETTING THERE:
Dump Road (north) Trailhead:
From Flagstaff, go east on Interstate
40 to exit 201 for U.S. Route 89 north. Continue 5.6 miles north to
Cinder Lake Landfill Road (FR6010) marked only by a "landfill"
sign north of mile marker 423. Turn right and go 0.7 mile to the
trailhead.
Silver Saddle (south) Trailhead:
From Flagstaff Mall on U.S.
Route 89, go 3.5 miles north to Silver Saddle Road, turn right and
continue 0.5 miles to the trailhead on the left past milepost 422.
INFO: Coconino National
Forest
