Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

We started the day at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, a cinder cone in the sky! The Ranger was super friendly and was excited about our exploration goals in nature for the day. The dusting of snow was a very cool contrast to the black lava.

Today marks my biggest day in NPS Unit visits with Ryder and I visiting four parks in one day … a huge accomplishment! Ryder really surprised me as being super adventurous all day, so I am so ever hopeful he will become a park chaser with me.

Those are the Painted Hills in the far distance. “Northern Arizona's Painted Desert is a vast, striated badlands that extends some 150 miles from the eastern end of the Grand Canyon into Petrified Forest National Park.”