Out of This World Family Adventure at the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark

Imagine a blinding ball of light approaching the Earth at a speed of 8 miles per second causing the evacuation of millions of tons of rock in an ancient juniper and pinyon forest area of the Colorado Plateau. Meteor Crater National Landmark is one of a few places on Earth where you can marvel at the massive effect an asteroid makes when impacting our planet.

About 90 minutes from Sedona, Arizona (or 45 minutes from Flagstaff) is a hidden astronomical surprise. Driving through the flat desert climate where the road continues for as far as the eye can see, we approached what appeared to be a low ridge and small building in the middle of nowhere.

We take every opportunity to stop and visit "something different" during our road trips, so Meteor Crater was the perfect short stop on our travels towards the Petrified Forest National Park. I mean, how many people can say they have seen an actual meteor crater? Not to mention, because of its young age and the area's dry climate, Meteor Crater National Landmark is one of the best preserved impact craters on Earth!

What is the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark?

This area of the Colorado Plateau is believed to have been a gently rolling countryside covered with a juniper and pinyon forest and inhabited by large mammals such as mammoths, ground sloths, bison, camels, tapirs and horses. Around 50,000 years ago, a 150 foot diameter iron-nickel asteroid struck the ground with a force 150 times greater than an atomic bomb. During the impact, the asteroid, bedrock and any animals/flora at ground zero would have been vaporized. Surrounding bedrock was thrown and the shockwaves would have produced 1000 km/hr winds that stripped away the grass near the crater and flattened the 10 miles of forest. Very little of the original mass of the 150,000 tons of the meteor survived impact. Most was vaporized and remains in the soil around Meteor Crater.

After impact, the crater filled with water to form an ancient lake. It was crater was also subject to erosion, loosing around 20 feet of it elevation on the rim, and the bottom has filled with about 200-250 feet of rubble and sand. The resulting crater is now nearly a mile wide and 570 feet deep.

Our Family Adventure at Meteor Crater

We arrived early, so the parking lot was not yet crowded (it was pretty crowded around lunch time when we left). The Meteor Crater land is privately owned and maintained, which makes it a little pricey. After paying our entrance fee, they provided the girls with a scavenger hunt booklet to complete (similar to a short Junior Ranger booklet), which kept them engaged in the museum activities. The museum as small, but very informative and provided enough interactive / hands-on activities to keep both girls interested. We completed the main part of the museum in about an hour.

Also included with the price of admission, is a guided tour of the crater rim. Guided tours run at scheduled intervals (every hour when we were there). We met the tour guide in the designated area for the tour orientation. Our tour guide, a local Winslow resident, explained the formation, history, and geology of the crater as we walked along an easy paved path over a portion of the crater rim.

The tour was very informative and helped the girls complete the last few questions in their booklets. The entire tour lasted just under an hour. If you wanted to skip the guided tour, there are four lookout points that you can visit to see portions of the crater.

After our tour, we were perfectly timed for the 4D theater experience, which is also included in the price of admission. The girls love 4D theaters, so this was the perfect way to sit back and enjoy the air conditioning. Our last stop was the gift shop, where the girls turned in their booklets and received a patch to add to their Junior Ranger badge collection.

Visitor Information

Address: Interstate 40, Exit 233, Winslow, AZ 86047

Hours: vary by season

Tour Time: 2-3 hours

Cell Service: Available

Disclaimer: Always make sure to check out the latest information from the website before you arrive.

The Family Verdict

Everyone had a good time, but the girls got a little bored on the long tour (Dustin and I both really enjoyed it though). The museum and 4D theater were great -- plus the scavenger hunt booklets encouraged the girls to engage in the exhibits. In all, Meteor Crater was a good stop on our family adventure road trip. If you are in the area, it is worth the visit.

If you loved this family adventure guide, check out my review of nearby Sedona and follow along on our road trip through the American Southwest!

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