Meteor Crater Arizona: A Route 66 Side Trip to the Best-Preserved Impact Site on Earth

Meteor Crater: An Out-of-This-World Stop on Route 66

Just a short detour south of historic Route 66 near Winslow, Arizona, lies one of the most staggering natural landmarks in the United States — and quite possibly the most dramatic roadside attraction in the entire American Southwest. Meteor Crater, also known as Barringer Crater, is the best-preserved meteorite impact site on Earth, a nearly mile-wide bowl punched into the Arizona desert by a cosmic collision 50,000 years ago. For generations of Route 66 road-trippers, it has been a mandatory detour — a chance to stand at the edge of something truly ancient, immense, and humbling.

Where is Meteor Crater?

Meteor Crater is located approximately 37 miles east of Flagstaff and 18 miles west of Winslow in the high desert of northern Arizona. To reach it, take Exit 233 off Interstate 40 — which closely parallels the old Route 66 alignment — and drive approximately 6 miles south along Meteor Crater Road. The site sits at an elevation of 5,640 feet above sea level. The crater and visitor complex are at the end of the road: you cannot miss it.

Address: Meteor Crater Rd, Winslow, AZ 86047

Hours: Typically open daily 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (seasonal variations — check meteorcrater.com before visiting)

The Science: How Meteor Crater Formed

About 50,000 years ago, a massive nickel-iron meteorite — approximately 150 feet wide and weighing an estimated 300,000 tons — streaked through Earth’s atmosphere at speeds exceeding 26,000 miles per hour. When it struck the Arizona desert, the impact released energy equivalent to roughly 10 megatons of TNT, or approximately 150 times the force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

The result was a crater nearly 3,900 feet (about three-quarters of a mile) in diameter, more than 550 feet deep, and ringed by a rim that rises 148 feet above the surrounding desert plain. The center of the crater is filled with hundreds of feet of rubble and sediment accumulated over the millennia since impact.

What makes Meteor Crater so extraordinary — and so well-preserved — is Arizona’s arid climate. Very few impact craters remain visible on Earth, as most have been erased by erosion, vegetation, and geological processes over millions of years. The dry conditions of the Painted Desert region have allowed this crater to remain remarkably intact, making it the best natural laboratory for studying meteorite impacts anywhere on the planet.

The History of Meteor Crater’s Discovery

Early Names and Scientific Debate

When American settlers first encountered the crater in the 19th century, it was variously known as “Coon Mountain,” “Coon Butte,” “Crater Mountain,” and “Meteor Mountain.” The scientific community initially assumed the feature had been created by a volcanic steam explosion — volcanic activity was common in the area, with the San Francisco volcanic field just 20 miles northwest of the crater.

The first person to seriously propose a meteorite impact origin was mining engineer Daniel M. Barringer, who filed mining claims and purchased the crater and surrounding land in the early 20th century. Barringer spent years — and considerable personal fortune — attempting to locate a massive iron meteorite buried beneath the crater floor, convinced it would be worth millions. The meteorite was never found in any commercially viable quantity, as most of it had been vaporized on impact, but Barringer’s scientific work ultimately proved the crater’s cosmic origin. The scientific community now refers to the site as Barringer Crater in his honor.

Route 66 and Tourism

When Route 66 was established in the 1920s, the highway passed close enough to the crater to make it a natural roadside attraction. An American Meteorite Museum operated near the site for many years, allowing Route 66 travelers to stop, view meteorite fragments, and peer through telescopes toward the distant crater rim. The museum was the first privately owned meteorite museum in the world. The Barringer family — who still own the crater to this day — eventually developed a full visitor complex on the rim itself, which opened to the public and became one of the most distinctive stops on Arizona’s entire Route 66 corridor.

NASA and the Apollo Program

In an extraordinary chapter of the crater’s history, NASA used Meteor Crater as a training ground for Apollo astronauts in the 1960s. The site’s geology — the shattered and rearranged rock layers, the impact breccia, the scale of the depression — closely mirrored what scientists expected to find on the lunar surface. Astronauts who would later walk on the Moon practiced geological survey techniques at the Barringer Crater rim, making the Arizona desert a rehearsal stage for one of humanity’s greatest achievements. An Apollo test capsule is still on display at the visitor center.

What to See and Do at Meteor Crater

The Crater Rim Observation Decks

The primary experience at Meteor Crater is standing at the rim and taking in the scale of the depression. Multiple observation decks provide panoramic views into and across the crater, with high-powered telescopes available to examine the floor and walls in detail. The sheer size — more than three-quarters of a mile across — is difficult to fully comprehend from the rim, but the visitor center uses a series of visual aids (including a miniature football field placed on the crater floor model) to help convey the scale.

The Barringer Space Museum

The visitor complex includes a comprehensive museum dedicated to the science of meteorites, planetary impacts, and space exploration. Interactive exhibits explain how the impact occurred, what the meteorite was made of, and how scientists study impact craters. A fragment of the original Canyon Diablo meteorite — the official scientific name for the impactor — is on display and available for visitors to touch. The museum also highlights the crater’s connection to the Apollo astronaut training program.

Guided Rim Tours

Guided rim tours, included with admission, take visitors along a section of the crater rim with stops at multiple viewpoints. Knowledgeable guides provide geological context, point out features of the impact crater, and explain how the crater has been used for scientific and space exploration research. Self-guided walking is also available at several designated platforms.

4D Theater

The visitor complex includes a short 4D film about the crater’s formation — complete with sensory effects that help convey the scale of the impact event. It’s a particularly engaging experience for younger visitors and runs at regular intervals throughout the day.

Meteor Crater and the Route 66 Connection

Meteor Crater was one of the classic advertised roadside attractions of Route 66’s golden era, with billboards and promotions appearing along the highway for miles in both directions. It attracted generations of curious road-trippers who had been promised the chance to see a genuine hole in the Earth from outer space. Today the connection remains strong: the crater sits just minutes off the I-40 corridor that parallels the old Route 66, and it fits naturally into a northeastern Arizona itinerary that also includes Winslow’s Standin’ on the Corner Park, the La Posada Hotel, the Two Guns Ghost Town, and Holbrook’s Wigwam Motel.

Route 66 travelers heading east from Flagstaff will find Meteor Crater an ideal mid-morning stop before continuing to Holbrook and the Petrified Forest National Park. Those heading west can visit after leaving Holbrook and before reaching Winslow for a perfect pairing of geological wonder and Route 66 nostalgia.

Practical Tips for Visiting Meteor Crater

Book tickets online in advance — tickets never expire, and pre-booking saves time at the gate.
Arrive in the morning to catch the best natural light for photography across the crater.
Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring sunscreen — the rim walk is exposed to full desert sun.
Don’t skip the 4D film or the guided rim tour — they add significant context to what you’re seeing.
The gift shop carries an excellent selection of unique meteorite specimens and minerals — worth a browse.
No pets are allowed inside the visitor area, but a shaded Pet Ramada is available in the parking area.
Pair with a visit to Winslow for the full northeastern Arizona Route 66 experience — the drive between the two takes about 20 minutes.

Final Thoughts on Meteor Crater

Meteor Crater is that rare tourist attraction that genuinely exceeds expectations. No photo prepares you for the reality of standing at the edge of an impact that shook the Earth 50,000 years ago. Whether you come as a Route 66 road-tripper, a space science enthusiast, a family looking for something truly different, or simply someone in search of perspective, the Barringer Crater delivers all of it. It is one of the most remarkable stops on Arizona’s Route 66 — and one of the most remarkable natural sites on the entire planet.