Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

We are heading to Arizona! This week's GLO Record features a Presidential Proclamation, which is an announcement of policy from the President. On May 26, 1930, President Herbert Hoover declared a set of lands in the Coconino National Forest as Sunset Crater National Monument. About 60 years later, in 1990, the site was renamed to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Below are images of the presidential proclamation that was uploaded to the Control Document Index database on the GLO website. CDI includes documents that affect or have affected the control, limitation, or restriction of public land resources, including public laws, presidential proclamations, and withdrawals. These records have been stored on microfilm since the 1950s, as microfilm takes up very little physical spaces compared to the paper documents.

Sunset Crater Volcano is located just north of Flagstaff, Arizona, and is collectively managed by the National Park Service as the Flagstaff Area National Monuments along with Wuaptki, and Walnut Canyon National Monuments. Together, these three sites protect more than 40,000 acres and 3,000 archeological sites, in a landscape of expansive high deserts, canyons, mountains, mesas, and volcanic features.

Below is the original survey plat, approved on November 14, 1903 by Surveyor General Frank S. Ingalls. On the east side of the plat in section 23, you can see Sunset Crater. If you look towards the north side of the plat in section 3, you will also see O'Leary Peak. You can use the tools on the right side of the map to move around and explore in 3D.

You can interact with the website below to read the field notes for Township 23 North Range 8 East. Sunset Crater is mentioned on page 10.

Sunset Crater, the youngest volcano in the San Fransisco Volcanic Field, last erupted almost 1,000 years ago around 1085 and is now considered extinct. Today, the area is covered with lava flows and cinder deposits. Cinders are small volcanic rocks that combined make a rough but sand-like concoction. Despite the lava flows and cinders, there is still vegetation in the area such as wildflowers, pine, aspen trees, and desert vegetation. While this is a poor environment for wildlife, the area does provide homes for insects, spiders, lizards, snakes, and even bats.

O'Leary Peak is an extinct lava dome. Lava domes are formed by a viscous magma eruption onto the surface and then piling up around the vent. Like lava flows, they typically do not have enough gas or pressure to erupt vigorously. The hike up to O'Leary Peak is along a roadbed, which is rough with potholes, rocks, and eroded sections.