Just east of Flagstaff sits the black and beautiful Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument which has a few hikes and some great overlooks. While you explore, keep in mind that this volcano was spewing lava less than a thousand years ago meaning the people that lived here must have witnessed it, which is a very cool thought. At the Bonito Lava Flow there’s the closed Lenox Crater Trail, a lookout, and the Lava Flow Trail (1 mile loop) that all offer a great and quick experience of the black magma fields, distant mountains, and pine forests. Don’t forget to stop at the Cinder Hills Overlook on your way out towards Wupatki National Monument! Also, the Loop Road that connects Sunset with Wupatki and 89 is a gorgeous road.