Meteor Crater, about 35 miles or so east of Flagstaff, is a privately owned National Natural Landmark. Originally named Canyon Diablo Crater, fragments from the 150ft meteorite that crashed into Earth at 26,000mph are called Canyon Diablo Meteorites. (In case you are ever in a museum or rock shop that has meteorites you’ll be in the know.)
The crater is around 3,900 feet in diameter, about 570 feet deep. Our guide said that 20 football games could be played on the the floor of the crater with 2 million spectators sitting on sloping sides. Now that puts it more into perspective for me.
In 1903 Daniel Barringer, a mining engineer, was convinced that parts of the meteor were buried underground. (they weren’t, much of the meteor vaporized on impact). He staked a mining claim and got to work. Remnants of his operation can still be seen in the crater.
The abandoned mining camp was used for the visitor center and museum, but it eventually burned and was knocked down by winds over time.
Along with the building there are numerous artifacts still lying around the area.
From atop the crater you can see the San Francisco Mountain Range (no it is not in California).
Taking advantage of the view of the mountain range, the Barringer family constructed a viewing port at the visitor center that frames it perfectly.
