This massive hole in the ground was created when a meteor struck the Arizona desert 50,000 years ago. The crater’s proximity to the San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona fueled debates for years whether or not this was a volcanic crater or of extraterrestrial origin. Apollo astronauts trained here for possible crater missions on the moon.

This crater is one of the most well preserved meteorite impact sites in the world. Thanks to the arid desert of Arizona, the crater will be enjoyed by lovers of space and holes in the ground for years to come. There is an entrance fee to see inside the crater, as it is a privately owned landmark. If you’re traveling from the Grand Canyon toward New Mexico (or vice versa) this is not a bad place to stop and stretch your legs. Pay attention to the horizon ahead of you as you approach the crater, you can see the profile of the rim of the crater and it really gives you a feel for just how large this hole is. The crater is more than 500 ft deep and 3/4 mile wide and was created by an iron-nickel meteorite 160ft across traveling roughly 30,000mph. The impact energy is estimated to be nearly 10 megatons (700 times that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima).

The visitor’s center is very informative both on meteorite and the history of mining in the crater (to find the original Iron meteorite)

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