In the middle of the Mojave Desert, about midway between Barstow and Needles, is Amboy Crater, a dormant volcano that was active about 6,000 years ago. The cinder cone rises 250 feet above the surrounding desert floor with a 100 foot deep crater in the center. Amboy Crater is a symmetrical volcanic cinder cone with a breach in the west side where basaltic lava
poured out to form 24 square miles of lave flow. There are actually four concurrent cones, one inside another. Inside the crater are two lava dams once holding back lava lakes. There is evidence for at least six eruptive events and it should not be considered extinct.
The trail is one and one half miles each way and takes about half an hour to forty-five minutes each way. Allow three or four hours for the entire trip. It is best to visit in the late winter or early spring and avoid wind when climbing the ridge of the caldera.
The lava flow covers 43.5 square miles of the surrounding landscape. The flows to the south and east are older with most of the flow extending south and west. The breach on the west accounts for the flow to the west.
The volcano was declared National Natural Landmark in 1973.
Location:
Amboy Crater lies about 5 miles south of Interstate 40, on the old historic Route 66 2 1/2 miles west of the town of Amboy
Approaching from the west. The foreground cone is not Amboy. Amboy Crater is the more distant cone to the far left. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Desert surrounding the volcano. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Sign. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Sign. Photo date: 2-26-05.
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From the Highway, Old Route 66. Photo date: 2-26-05.
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From the Highway, Old Route 66. Photo date: 2-26-05.
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From the Highway, Old Route 66. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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From the Highway. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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From the Highway. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date:
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From parking lot. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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From parking lot. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Hiking to crater. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Hiking to crater. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Hiking to crater. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Hiking to crater. Looking back toward parking lot. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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East side of base. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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West side of base. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Into the breach. The easiest way to enter the crater is through a breach on the southwest side. Photo date: 2-5-05
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The path to the inside. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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The following five images made up the above composit. They are looking out of the breach from inside the crater.
Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
The following three images made up the above composit. They are looking out of the breach from inside the crater.
Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Inside the crater. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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The following five images made up the above composit. They are looking into the crater.
Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Photo date:
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I visited Amboy Crater in one of the wettest winters in a century, and found this temporary pond in the crater. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Inside crater wall. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking out along the rim of the crater, toward the breach. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking out along the rim of the crater, toward the breach. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking across the crater rim toward the town of Amboy. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking into the desert from the crater rim. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking into the desert from the crater rim. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking out along the rim of the crater, toward the breach. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking into the crater. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Out into the desert. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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 Photo date: 2-5-05.
Looking out into the lava field. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking out into the lava field. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking into the crater. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking into the crater. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking into the crater. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking out through the breach. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking across the crater through the breach. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking across the crater through the breach. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking into the desert along the rim. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking into the desert along the rim. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking back at the volcano on the return hike. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking back at the volcano on the return hike. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking back at the volcano on the return hike. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking back at the volcano on the return hike. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Hike back. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Hike back. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking north from parking lot. Photo date: 2-5-05.
Looking north from parking lot. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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Looking north from parking lot. Photo date: 2-5-05.
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This page last updated: Wednesday, 31-Oct-2007 14:30:56 EDT
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Note: This is not the official site for any of the places shown in Places Earth. Places Earth is not responsible for accuracy of the information. Hours of operations, prices, exhibits, and sometimes locations are subject to change without notice.
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