Meteor Crater

Meteor Crater, also called Barringer Crater, is a privately owned natural landmark in Coconino County, Arizona, near Winslow, roughly 35 to 40 minutes from Flagstaff off Interstate 40. Formed by an asteroid impact roughly 50,000 years ago, it is about 3,900 feet across and 560 feet deep, and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967.

Meteor Crater is a huge, startlingly well-preserved bowl gouged into the high desert of northern Arizona by an asteroid impact tens of thousands of years ago, and it remains one of the best examples on the planet of what a fresh impact crater actually looks like, since Arizona's dry climate has kept erosion to a minimum. Unlike the national parks and monuments elsewhere on this list, the crater and its surrounding land are privately owned, run today as the Barringer Space Museum and visitor attraction rather than a federal park, which shapes everything from its admission-ticket model to its polished, museum-style presentation. A short walk from the parking area leads to an observation building perched on the crater's rim, with several outdoor viewing platforms strung along the edge and interpretive exhibits inside covering both the impact itself and the site's surprising second life as an astronaut training ground. It is an easy stop for anyone driving Interstate 40 between Flagstaff and points east, and its combination of geology, space history, and sheer visual scale has made it a long-running roadside classic of the region, even though, as some visitors note, you view the crater from a distance rather than walking down into it on a standard visit.

Meteor Crater sits in the high desert of Coconino County, northern Arizona, roughly 37 miles east of Flagstaff and about 18 miles west of Winslow, just off Interstate 40 at exit 233. The site's official address is 8125 I-40, Winslow, Arizona. It is a straightforward stop for anyone traveling I-40 between Flagstaff and the New Mexico border, and it sits close enough to Winslow, a small Route 66 town, to combine easily with a stop there.

The crater sits on the high, elevated plateau of northern Arizona rather than the lower, hotter desert around Phoenix, so its climate runs cooler overall, with real winter cold and occasional snow rather than the mild winters found further south. Summers are still warm and very sunny, but afternoons are generally more bearable here than in the Sonoran Desert lowlands, and the site itself offers minimal shade at its outdoor rim viewpoints. Winter visitors should be prepared for genuinely cold, sometimes freezing conditions, especially in early morning, and should check road conditions on I-40 in case of winter storms.

Because the site sits at a higher, cooler elevation than much of Arizona's desert country, it can be visited comfortably across a wider stretch of the year than lower-elevation destinations, though many travelers still prefer spring and fall for the mildest temperatures. Cooler months reduce the discomfort of standing on the exposed, largely shadeless rim viewpoints. Winter is workable but can bring cold mornings and occasional snow, so dressing in layers helps regardless of season.

The crater formed roughly 50,000 years ago when a relatively small iron asteroid struck the flat sedimentary rock of the Colorado Plateau, and for much of the 19th century, geologists debated what had actually created it. Early researchers, including the U.S. Geological Survey's Grove Karl Gilbert, initially argued it was volcanic in origin, largely because no substantial buried meteorite mass could be found. Mining engineer Daniel M. Barringer took the opposite view, convinced a fortune in meteoritic iron lay beneath the crater floor; he secured a land patent in 1903 and spent decades and a large personal fortune drilling in search of it, ultimately finding nothing, since most of the original asteroid had vaporized on impact. Later scientists vindicated his impact theory even as his search for buried treasure failed: F.R. Moulton's 1929 calculations, Harvey Nininger's discovery of impact debris in the 1930s and 1940s, and finally Eugene Shoemaker's identification of shock-formed quartz minerals in the following decades together proved definitively that only a cosmic impact, not volcanism, could have created the site. Despite a mid-century push to have it nationalized, the crater has remained in private hands, held by the Barringer family's company to this day. Its scientific value made it a natural fit for NASA, which sent Apollo astronauts here to train on genuinely otherworldly terrain during the 1960s and 1970s, a tradition that in some form continues.

The core experience is simple but striking: walk out to one of the crater's rim overlooks and take in a hole in the ground nearly three-quarters of a mile across and more than 500 feet deep. The Discovery Center and Space Museum fills in the science and history, with hands-on exhibits, a boilerplate Apollo command module, and a wall honoring American astronauts. Two short films, including a 4D theater experience and a rim-focused documentary that plays roughly every half hour, give context before or after you head outside. A guided rim tour is included with standard admission and is the easiest way to get a ranger-style explanation of what you are looking at. For a more physical option, a special guided hike down into the crater itself runs on select Saturday mornings, a strenuous round trip of more than 500 feet in elevation change that requires advance booking and a separate fee. Because the site sits right off Interstate 40, it also works well as a short leg-stretching stop rather than a full day's destination, with most visitors budgeting one to two hours.

The main rim overlook building anchors the visit, with an observation deck and several outdoor lookout points positioned around different sections of the crater's edge, each offering a slightly different angle on the impact site. Inside, the Discovery Center and Barringer Space Museum house meteorite fragments, mission-era space artifacts, and displays walking through the decades-long scientific argument over the crater's origin. The American Astronaut Wall of Fame recognizes astronauts who trained here. Outside, interpretive signage along the rim trail explains both the impact event and the mining-era attempts to find buried meteoritic treasure. For visitors who book the special Saturday floor tour, the crater floor itself, with its rubble field and closer look at the impact's geology, is otherwise inaccessible on a standard visit.

Meteor Crater is directly accessible from Interstate 40 at exit 233, roughly midway between Flagstaff and Winslow in northern Arizona, making it an easy and well-signed stop for anyone driving that stretch of highway. From Flagstaff, the drive takes about 35 to 40 minutes; from Winslow, it is closer to 20 minutes. The nearest airport with any commercial service is Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, though most visitors fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, roughly two and a half hours south by car, and drive up via I-17 and I-40. There is no public transit directly to the site, so a car is necessary.

As of research, the site was open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with guided rim tours running throughout the day and a special floor tour offered on select Saturday mornings. Confirm current hours on the official website before visiting, since some other travel sources suggest hours vary seasonally.

As of research, general admission was $29 for adults aged 13 to 59, $27 for seniors, $25 for juniors aged 6 to 12 and for non-active-duty military, and free for children 5 and under and active-duty military. The special Saturday floor tour cost extra. Confirm current pricing before visiting.

Most visitors budget one to two hours to see the museum exhibits, films, and rim overlooks; the optional Saturday floor tour adds several more hours.

There is no lodging directly at the crater itself, so most overnight visitors stay in either Winslow or Flagstaff. Winslow's standout option is La Posada, a grand historic hotel designed by architect Mary Colter for the Fred Harvey Company, restored with period-style rooms and gardens, and it sits directly on the historic Route 66 corridor. Winslow also has a range of budget motels, including chain options such as Best Western Plus Winslow Inn and Quality Inn, plus independent motor-court style stops that echo the town's Route 66 heritage. Flagstaff, roughly 35 to 40 minutes away, offers a much larger selection of hotels and is a popular base for travelers also visiting the Grand Canyon or Sedona, making it easy to combine a Meteor Crater stop with a broader northern Arizona itinerary.

The visitor center itself typically has a small snack or gift-shop counter for a quick bite, but for a proper meal, most visitors head into Winslow. The standout choice there is the Turquoise Room, a well-regarded restaurant inside the historic La Posada hotel known for its Southwestern-inflected fine dining and elegant, Fred Harvey-era atmosphere. Winslow's downtown Route 66 strip has additional casual diners and fast-food options for a quicker stop. Travelers basing themselves in Flagstaff instead will find a much larger and more varied restaurant scene there, from casual brewpubs to sit-down dining, making it worth timing a Meteor Crater visit around a meal in whichever town you are staying.

Winslow itself, a small town built along historic Route 66, makes a natural pairing with a Meteor Crater stop, especially for travelers interested in the highway's roadside history. Flagstaff, about 35 to 40 minutes west, offers its own cluster of attractions and serves as a gateway to both the Grand Canyon's South Rim and Sedona's red-rock country, both under two hours further by car. Petrified Forest National Park lies within a similar driving radius to the east, allowing travelers to combine several of northern Arizona's geological highlights into a single road-trip loop along I-40.

There is no public transit directly serving Meteor Crater, so a personal or rental vehicle is necessary, with the site reached via a well-marked exit directly off Interstate 40. Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is the closest airport with any commercial service, while most travelers fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and make the roughly two-and-a-half-hour drive north via I-17 and I-40. Amtrak's Southwest Chief also stops in Flagstaff and Winslow, though from either station a car or taxi is still needed to reach the crater itself.

The crater's rim overlooks sit in an exposed, largely shadeless location, so sun protection and water matter even for a short visit, particularly in summer. Northern Arizona's elevation means winter visits can bring genuinely cold temperatures and occasional ice, so watch your footing on outdoor viewing platforms and check weather conditions before driving up from Phoenix. If you book the optional Saturday hike down into the crater, be aware it is described as a strenuous trail with real elevation change, not a casual stroll, so come prepared with sturdy footwear and enough water. As with any Interstate 40 stop, keep valuables out of sight in a parked vehicle.

A hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are worth having for the exposed rim overlooks, along with a water bottle even for a fairly short visit. A light jacket or layers help for cool mornings, especially outside summer, given the site's higher elevation compared to Phoenix. Sturdy, closed-toe shoes are especially important if you have booked the strenuous Saturday floor tour down into the crater itself.

Buy tickets online ahead of time if possible, since they do not expire and can save a step at the gate; the standard admission price already includes a guided rim tour, so there is no need to pay extra just to get context on what you are seeing. If you are interested in the deeper Saturday floor hike, book it well in advance, since it runs on a limited schedule and covers genuinely strenuous terrain. Because the site sits roughly midway between Flagstaff and Winslow right off I-40, it pairs naturally with a longer northern Arizona road trip that might also include Petrified Forest National Park to the east or the Grand Canyon and Sedona to the west and north. Some visitors find the admission price steep relative to a visit that mostly involves viewing the crater from rim overlooks rather than walking into it, so factor that into your expectations, especially if geology or space history is not a strong personal interest.

For any emergency at or near Meteor Crater, dial 911, the nationwide emergency number in the United States. For general visitor questions, the site can be reached at (928) 289-5898.

Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum - https://meteorcrater.com/

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.