| Amboy Crater | |
|---|---|
Amboy Crater, as viewed from the east |
|
| Elevation | 984 ft (300 m) [1] |
| Prominence | 250 ft (76 m) [2] |
| Location | |
| Location | San Bernardino County, California, USA |
| Topo map | USGS Amboy Crater |
| Geology | |
| Type | Cinder cone[2] |
| Last eruption | About 10,000 Years Ago[3] |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Trail[4][5] |
Amboy Crater and Lava Field is an extinct North American cinder cone type of volcano that rises above a 70-square-kilometer (27 sq mi) lava field in southern California.[6] They are located in the Mojave Desert equidistant and about 75 miles (120 km) between Barstow to the west and Needles to the east, and 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southwest of historic U.S. Route 66, in San Bernardino County, California. Amboy Crater and Lava Field were designated the "Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark" in May, 1973.[2][7]
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The Amboy Crater's location is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southwest of the town of Amboy and the Route 66-National Trails Highway. The Bullion Mountains are to the west, and Bristol Mountains to the northeast.[8]
This Cinder cone crater is estimated to be around 6,000 years old and was formed in layers of mostly vesicular pahoehoe - possibly in the Holocene geological period. The interior has a lava lake. Lava flows as old as Amboy Crater itself blanket the surrounding area. According to the BLM interpretive sign the last eruption could have been as recently as 500 years ago.[8]
The crater is 944 ft (288 m) above sea level, about 250 ft (76 m) above the surrounding basalt lava plains. The scenic and solitary Amboy Crater was a popular sight and stop for travelers on U.S. Route 66 in California before the opening of Interstate 40 in 1973. Other than a stretch of U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico, Amboy Crater was one of few extinct volcanoes along the entire route, so generations of U.S. Route 66 travelers from the 1920s through the 1960s could boast that they had climbed a real volcano. Visits decreased after I-40 opened, but have increased in recent years with the nearby Mitchell Caverns, Mojave National Preserve, and renewed historical tourism interest in "old Route 66."
The Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommends using the western Cone Trail to reach the volcano peak's rim, a steep and rocky hiking trail. The trailhead is at the Amboy Crater day use parking area, along with shaded and open picnic tables, and public restrooms.[9] Regular desert precautions apply here: being alert for rattlesnakes and old military explosives, and having a hat, sunscreen, sturdy shoes, and abundant drinking water. Educational and organized groups are advised to contact the BLM before heading out to Amboy Crater.[8][10]
The desert around Amboy Crater was featured on the cover art of the 2008 Rush album Snakes & Arrows Live.