Amboy Crater
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| Amboy Crater | |
|---|---|
 Amboy Crater, as viewed from the east |
|
| Elevation | 984 feet (300 m)[1] |
| Location | San Bernardino County, California, USA |
| Prominence | 250 ft (76 m)[2] |
| Coordinates | 34°32′38″N 115°47′28″W / 34.54389°N 115.79111°WCoordinates: 34°32′38″N 115°47′28″W / 34.54389°N 115.79111°W |
| Topo map | USGS Amboy Crater |
| Type | cinder cone[2] |
| Last eruption | About 10,000 Years Ago[3] |
| Easiest route | trail[4][5] |
Amboy Crater and Lava Field is an extinct North American cinder cone. It lies within a 70-square-kilometer (27 sq mi) lava field in California's Mojave Desert 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of the town of Amboy on historic U.S. Highway 66. Amboy Crater and Lava Field were designated a National Natural Landmark in May, 1973.[6][2]
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[edit] Location
The crater's location is midway between Barstow and Needles and is about 75 miles (120 km) from either of these small cities. Amboy Crater is accessible to tourists via Interstate 40 as well as National Trails Highway - Route 66.
[edit] Description
This cinder cone type crater is estimated to be around 6,000 years old and was formed in layers of mostly vesicular pahoehoe - possibly in the Holocene geological period. Lava flows as old as Amboy Crater itself blanket the immediate area. According to the BLM sign at the site, the last eruption could have been as recently as 500 years ago.
The crater is 944 feet (288 m) above sea level, about 250 feet (76 m) above the surrounding lava fields, and there is a false trail which is not advised for use in reaching the volcano's rim. The Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommends using the west trail found at the day use parking area. This unmarked, steep, and rocky hiking trail leads to the top of the cone which made Amboy Crater a popular U.S. Route 66 tourist stop before the opening of I-40 in the mid 1960s. Other than a stretch of US 66 through New Mexico, Amboy Crater was the only extinct volcanic area along the entire route and generations of Route 66 travelers from the 1920s through the 1960s could honestly boast that they had climbed a real volcano. Visits from tourists decreased after I40 opened, but have increased in recent years.
Regular desert precautions apply: watch for snakes and other desert wildlife, bring abundant drinking water, hat, sunscreen, and sturdy shoes. It is best to avoid visiting Amboy Crater in summer conditions or in windy weather. Educational and organizational groups are advised to contact the BLM before heading out to Amboy Crater (to ensure adequate parking availability). BLM's Needles Field Office telephone number is +1 760 326 7000. Shaded and unshaded picnic tables are available, as are public restrooms.
Recently (2008) the landscape of historic route 66 and the Amboy Crater has made its way into popular culture (though limited) via its appearance on the cover of the album Snakes and Arrows Live http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_and_Arrows_Live) by the band RUSH (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_(band).
[edit] References
- ^ "Amboy, California". VolcanoWorld. http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_america/california/amboy.html. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ a b c "Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark". Needles Field Office. Bureau of Land Management. 2008-04-22. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/needles/amboy.html. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ (PDF) Amboy Crater. BLM/CA/GI-2000/014+8322 REV. 6/07. Bureau of Land Management. 2007-06. http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/needles/Recreation.Par.84641.File.dat/amboy%20crater%20brochure%20pdf.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ McKinney, John (2006-03-31). California's Desert Parks: A Day Hiker's Guide. Wilderness Press. pp. 146–147. ISBN 978-0899973890. http://books.google.com/books?id=rvkMXH6iJL0C&pg=PT160&lpg=PT160&dq=Amboy+Crater&source=web&ots=gdKBmltnuR&sig=g6C481Be4TBEtHOB_JQqG7_nbck&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPT160,M1.
- ^ Massey, Peter (2006-04-26). Backcountry Adventures Southern California: The Ultimate Guide to the Backcountry for anyone with a Sport Utility Vehicle. Adler Publishing. pp. 475–477. ISBN 978-1930193260. http://books.google.com/books?id=HjMozd3dBjoC&pg=PA475&lpg=PA475&dq=Amboy+Crater&source=bl&ots=1F90A0kNOE&sig=WhleLLCxZEQ9wz_PJK57aKOAeKA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA477,M1.
- ^ "National Natural Landmark Summary". National Park Service. February 5, 2004. http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/States/California/NNL/AB/index.cfm. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
