Last year I hiked Syncline Loop in Canyonlands, Island in the Sky, Arizona. Awesome. (My trip report.)
Upheaval Dome, the crater there, is only one of 174 such structures as listed on the Earth Impact Database. I wonder how many others have good hikes.
This year I MISSED the chance to see Meteor Crater though it was only 35mi (55km) east of my hostel in Flagstaff, Arizona. (The weather was terrible in January.)
The site was formerly known as the Canyon Diablo Crater, and scientists generally refer to it as Barringer Crater in honor of Daniel Barringer who was first to suggest that it was produced by meteorite impact.
Meteor Crater lies at an elevation of about 1740 m (5709 ft) above sea level. It is about 1,200 m (4,000 ft) in diameter, some 170 m deep (570 ft), and is surrounded by a rim that rises 45 m (150 ft) above the surrounding plains. The center of the crater is filled with 210-240 m (700-800 ft) of rubble lying above crater bedrock.
Surprisingly, the site is privately owned with an entrance fee for tourists.
official website – Barringer Crater
The most interesting anecdote for visitors:
On August 8, 1964, a pair of commercial pilots in a Cessna 150 flew into the crater for a closer look but were unable to climb out due to downdrafts. They ended up circling the interior until their fuel was exhausted and crash-landed. They survived their ordeal and continued to fly while the remaining wreckage is pointed out to visitors.
Leave a comment if you have an impact crater hike to recommend.
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