Amboy Crater: A Black Volcano Rising from the Mojave

Rising from the Mojave Desert like a mysterious mountain from another planet, Amboy Crater is a nearly perfect volcanic cinder cone just off Route 66.

Amboy Crater isn’t just a roadside oddity. It’s a geologic marvel. This cinder cone volcano last erupted over 10,000 years ago.

Perfectly symmetrical and hauntingly beautiful, this National Natural Landmark is a favorite stop for road trippers looking to stretch their legs and time-travel back to Earth’s volcanic youth.

Located just a few miles off the old highway, Amboy Crater is part of the Mojave Trails National Monument. A 3.7-mile round-trip hike will take you across cracked lava fields and through the volcano’s breached rim to the top—where the view across the desert is nothing short of lunar. Jagged basalt, spatter cones, and ancient lava lakes surround the site, all baked under the desert sun.

This is one of those places that feels untouched. Quiet. Timeless. You’ll find basic amenities like picnic tables and vault toilets, but no gift shops or crowds. It’s just you, the crater, and the desert winds.

The surreal landscape has served as the perfect setting for various films and music videos, such as the video below for ‘Saints And Liars’ by Gary Numan, which was shot entirely on the crater’s basalt rim.



If you go, go prepared. Daytime temperatures can soar in the warmer months, and there’s no shade or water along the trail. But if you time it right—say, just after sunrise or before sunset—you’ll catch the crater casting long shadows across the Mojave, a silhouette etched in ash and memory.

Amboy Crater sits just a few miles southwest of the town of Amboy, a once-thriving stop on Route 66 now frozen in time. After exploring the crater, consider heading into town to see what remains of its most famous landmark. For a deeper look at Amboy’s fading neon glory, check out our story on the town and “Remains of Roy’s” here.

A few heat-shimmer miles south-west of the dead straight highway, Amboy Crater squats like a coal-black bruise on the desert floor.