username
X
password
register
for free!
help
ArticlesGuidesRoutes
 
Photosets
 
 Comments
triplogs   photosets   labels comments more
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito) - 16 members in 38 triplogs have rated this an average 3.3 ( 1 to 5 best )
1, 2  Next
38 triplogs
login for filter options
Aug 04 2025
avatar

 Guides 104
 Routes 256
 Photos 16,118
 Triplogs 528

53 male
 Joined Dec 30 2005
 Tucson, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 04 2025
Mike_WTriplogs 528
Hiking1.67 Miles 63 AEG
Hiking1.67 Miles
63 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
After hiking the Lenox Crater trail, I decided to walk these other scenic loop trails:

1. A'a trail through the lava flow across from Lenox Crater
2. Lava flow trail
3. Bonito vista trail

There's some nice scenery and photo opportunities on all 3 trails. The Lava flow trail was roughly 1.1 miles around. The other trails were somewhere around 0.25 miles total. The elevation gain was minimal and these are really tourist-type hikes.

There's a $25 fee to enter Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Or the annual pass works also.
_____________________
Michael Williams
IT Professional
Rocky Point Vacation Rentals
Ocean Front Condo in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico
www.beachfrontmexico.us
Image
 
May 20 2025
avatar

 Guides 69
 Routes 37
 Photos 3,010
 Triplogs 2,387

55 male
 Joined Oct 24 2010
 Phoenix,Az
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar May 20 2025
mt98dewTriplogs 2,387
Hiking1.40 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking1.40 Miles
50 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Fun filled day. After hiking Picture Canyon in the morning my wife and I hit a couple of National Monuments around Flagstaff. The first stop was a visit to Sunset Crater. We got the all-important stamp in our Parks book at the visitor center and then headed up to the crater. Disappointed that you couldn’t hike on the cone, but the lava field was gnarly. The black magma frozen in time. Amazing at how the trees are able to grow in the fields and the cinders. It is unfortunate that the Funnel fire of 2022 burnt through part of the park. Started off by walking the Lava Flow Trail. There is a small paved section that does a loop with some info signs. And then, at three different points on the paved loop there is an opportunity to hike down a cinder path doing a larger loop. The trail isn’t signed very well, but the trail is pretty obvious and there are cautionary signs at two of the entry points. I think the third is a use trail and bisects the Lava Flow Trail. When doing the loop you’ll notice some number posts. There is a trail book you can buy in the visitor center for $2 that will talk about what the numbers represent.

Very cool little hike. It gets you right next to the lava fields. There was damage done to some of the trees by the Funnel fire. There are some stairs at the west end of the loop that you need to climb.

Afterwards, from the same parking area, we walked over and did the Bonito Vista Trail. This was a very short (.3 miles) paved trail that provided additional views of the lava fields. It was from this trail that the Lenox Trail took off, but we decided not to do that trail. Overall very cool experience. The National Monuments never fail to deliver.
_____________________
 
Sep 28 2022
avatar

 Guides 8
 Routes 70
 Photos 3,208
 Triplogs 273

59 male
 Joined Oct 07 2017
 Chandler, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 28 2022
YoderTriplogs 273
Hiking1.00 Miles 100 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles      27 Mns   2.50 mph
100 ft AEG      3 Mns Break10 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Main trails in the park are closed due to past fires. This is a very short hike but has some good opportunities for photos.
_____________________
J. Yoder
 
Feb 27 2021
avatar

 Guides 170
 Routes 148
 Photos 5,914
 Triplogs 2,097

48 male
 Joined Apr 12 2004
 Tucson, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Feb 27 2021
PrestonSandsTriplogs 2,097
Hiking1.30 Miles 60 AEG
Hiking1.30 Miles
60 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Short walk with Shauna and the dog while visiting Sunset Crater. Some cool features along this little loop include an ice cave/lava tube (gated), interpretive panels, and lava flows-o-plenty.
_____________________
"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan
 
Aug 22 2020
avatar

 Photos 5
 Triplogs 1,041

36 female
 Joined Oct 04 2012
 Phoenix, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 22 2020
WaitingForRainTriplogs 1,041
Hiking3.06 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking3.06 Miles   1 Hour   32 Mns   2.00 mph
50 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Partners none no partners
_____________________
 
Jul 26 2020
avatar

 Guides 4
 Photos 542
 Triplogs 573

46 male
 Joined Oct 19 2010
 Mesa, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Jul 26 2020
Charger55Triplogs 573
Hiking1.00 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles
50 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
_____________________
"I've driven across deserts, driven by the irony, that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
- Frank Turner "The Road"
 
Nov 08 2019
avatar

 Guides 2
 Routes 25
 Photos 1,890
 Triplogs 604

41 male
 Joined Sep 13 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Nov 08 2019
jochalTriplogs 604
Hiking2.50 Miles 350 AEG
Hiking2.50 Miles
350 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Partners none no partners
Hiked this and Lenox Crater. A volunteer was posted halfway around the Lava Flow Loop to answer questions. Nice clear day, so San Francisco Peaks made a nice background.
_____________________
 
Oct 13 2019
avatar

 Guides 1
 Routes 14
 Photos 7,202
 Triplogs 5,208

68 male
 Joined Mar 16 2008
 chandler,az
Sunset Crater, AZ 
Sunset Crater, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Oct 13 2019
johnlpTriplogs 5,208
Hiking2.92 Miles 412 AEG
Hiking2.92 Miles   1 Hour   7 Mns   2.74 mph
412 ft AEG      3 Mns Break
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Partners partners
trekkin_gecko
Since we were in the area, we decided to check out Sunset Crater National Monument. Picked up my lifetime pass for $80. We hit a few trails all short. Cool place. Reminds me of central Oregon with all the volcanic activity. :)
_____________________
“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson
 
Oct 13 2019
avatar

 Guides 10
 Routes 673
 Photos 7,281
 Triplogs 4,660

67 female
 Joined Nov 17 2008
 phoenix, az
Sunset Crater, AZ 
Sunset Crater, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Oct 13 2019
trekkin_geckoTriplogs 4,660
Hiking2.92 Miles 412 AEG
Hiking2.92 Miles   1 Hour   7 Mns   2.74 mph
412 ft AEG      3 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Partners partners
johnlp
after hiking the abineau bear jaw loop, john and i drove over to sunset crater
john scored his $80 national park pass for seniors
we wanted to hit double digits for the day, so we did a combo hike of the lava flow and lenox crater trails
interesting terrain and geology, new to both of us
nice views from the rim of lenox crater
worth a visit
lunch at beaver street brewery (does anyone know of a good thai restaurant in flag?)
experienced a massive slow down on I-17, adding an hour and a half to our return ](*,)
beautiful fall day in flagstaff and on the peaks
nice to get up there again - thanks, lp :)
_____________________
hazhole
 
May 25 2019
avatar

 Triplogs 72

41 female
 Joined Feb 14 2017
 Prescott Valley,
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar May 25 2019
sleepybear929Triplogs 72
Hiking1.00 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles
50 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
_____________________
 
Sep 23 2017
avatar

 Photos 14
 Triplogs 4

27 female
 Joined Aug 25 2017
 Flagstaff, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 23 2017
NatureNerd6Triplogs 4
Hiking1.00 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles
50 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Took a field trip with my Anthropology class this morning. What a beautiful day. It was pretty windy, but it was super fun. It was just a short little hike, but there is so much to see and learn about the crater. The best part was being able to see the different lava flows. Also, if you're in the area, I recommend visiting the Wipatke dwelling. It's about a 20 minute drive from the crater, and is definitely worth seeing.
_____________________
 
Apr 26 2017
avatar

 Guides 94
 Routes 842
 Photos 22,068
 Triplogs 1,994

52 male
 Joined Sep 18 2002
 Tempe, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 26 2017
chumleyTriplogs 1,994
Hiking0.99 Miles 104 AEG
Hiking0.99 Miles      22 Mns   2.70 mph
104 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
This was surprisingly nice. How I'd never been here I don't know. The volcanic features are very cool to experience up close.
_____________________
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
 
Apr 08 2017
avatar

 Photos 51
 Triplogs 7

47 male
 Joined Apr 09 2017
 Phoenix, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 08 2017
benbacomeTriplogs 7
Hiking1.06 Miles 257 AEG
Hiking1.06 Miles      40 Mns   2.12 mph
257 ft AEG      10 Mns Break15 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Was extrememly windy the day we decided to do this. My youngest was almost being blown sideways at points. Still a fun little hike with lots to see. Being at National Park/Monument the kids once again earned their junior ranger badge. Wish I could have visited this place years ago when the ice cave was open.
_____________________
"On the black rock is where I spend my time writing a memory or writing a rhyme."
 
Dec 30 2016
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 633
 Photos 8,249
 Triplogs 605

54 male
 Joined Apr 13 2011
 Gilbert, AZ
Lenox CraterFlagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Dec 30 2016
ddgrunningTriplogs 605
Hiking1.80 Miles 300 AEG
Hiking1.80 Miles      57 Mns   1.89 mph
300 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Partners none no partners
Pitstop #3 on Southern Utah Trip. Trail was snow-covered on the northern slope, but still no problem hiking in tennis shoes. Nice views of the Peaks from the "lookout" point, but otherwise, not much visibility on Sunset Crater to the east, except through the trees here and there.

I'm guessing this would be more popular if there were an opportunity to climb Sunset Crater itself. I understand the erosion concern, though ....
_____________________
  2 archives
May 28 2016
avatar

 Guides 11
 Routes 2
 Photos 3,776
 Triplogs 334

48 male
 Joined Jun 09 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar May 28 2016
cw50mustTriplogs 334
Hiking1.00 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles
50 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Spent the weekend in Flagstaff. This was a Cinders OHV trip. It had been a while since I had been there and I still enjoy getting up there and driving around all weekend. Camped out there on Sat night off FR 777. The next morning we Headed over to Sunset Crater National Monument. All those previous trips to the cinders I had always seen the volcano from the back, but never made my way around the other side to the NM. This time I made sure I got to visit before heading home.

We did the short Lava Flow Trail. I was impressed, I really thought the lava flow was cool. Its a nice little trail they got there too taking you around the lava flow, make sure you leave the concrete path. I will also say I came in from the east, we left the cinders via FR224 which is down towards the painted desert overlook. The drive into the NM from there was cool too. I gice this place 2 thumbs up.
_____________________
 
Jan 23 2016
avatar

 Guides 9
 Routes 98
 Triplogs 284

44 male
 Joined Feb 17 2010
 Moscow, RU
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 23 2016
AndreyPTriplogs 284
Hiking0.90 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking0.90 Miles      30 Mns   1.80 mph
50 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Went to FLG-X Adventure Course with a guy from work, completed 3 of 5 adult courses and got completely exhausted. Recharged at the hipster/student bakery coffee place on Beaver Street and drove to Sunset Crater - Wupatki Loop. Hiked Lava Flow Trail enjoying San Francisco Peaks views.
_____________________
 
Oct 03 2015
avatar

 Routes 2
 Photos 16
 Triplogs 4

55 male
 Joined Mar 03 2015
 Manchester, UK
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 03 2015
KarMannTriplogs 4
Hiking1.00 Miles
Hiking1.00 Miles   2 Hrs      1.00 mph
   1 Hour    Break
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners partners
DraculBack
This was my second time bringing an overseas visitor here. I spent a lot of time on the pictures, so spent just about two hours on the trail. If you weren't setting up a tripod repeatedly & insistently reading all the signs, it'd likely be much faster, of course.

It's hard to say which I like more here, the lava flows proper, or the fields of cinders.
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Moderate
I especially liked the small red flowers poking up from the cinders.
_____________________
J. Randall Owens
  1 archive
Jun 09 2015
avatar

 Guides 110
 Routes 2,248
 Photos 8,982
 Triplogs 2,602

45 female
 Joined Dec 24 2007
 Ahwatukee, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Jun 09 2015
LindaAnnTriplogs 2,602
Hiking1.00 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles      45 Mns   1.33 mph
50 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Exploring Sunset Crater with the kids.
_____________________
Stop crying and just go do the hike.
 
Oct 15 2014
avatar

 Guides 31
 Routes 135
 Photos 2,699
 Triplogs 615

52 female
 Joined Apr 02 2007
 Scottsdale, AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 15 2014
Crzy4AZTriplogs 615
Hiking1.00 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles
50 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners partners
Baby4AZ
GI Jones
LilGuy4AZ
Beautiful contrast to see the yellow aspen against the black lava field.
Kids were on the lookout for hot lava anywhere that might not have had time to cool down in the last 900 years :D
I kept saying that the volcano had "died" - but they did not really believe me. Every few steps "Mommy is that hot lava? Or is it dead?"

They won't forget this hike anytime soon! Science and nature are super cool when they involve potential bodily harm.
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
_____________________
 
Jun 29 2014
avatar

 Guides 27
 Routes 518
 Photos 5,861
 Triplogs 883

72 female
 Joined Jan 21 2006
 Eagar AZ
Lava Flow Trail (Bonito)Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Jun 29 2014
azbackpackrTriplogs 883
Hiking1.00 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles
50 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
I walked this loop today with a student group from China, as a part of my job. It is fun to see things through the eyes of foreigners. However, it was very hot, even for me.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
_____________________
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
 
average hiking speed 2.08 mph
1, 2  Next

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

helpcommentissue

end of page marker