Moments in Dirt and Ink

Coconino National Forest Click for map. I almost went for O'Leary Peak instead of the wanderings I did on the fee free day, but it is actually just outside of the monument and requires no fee, so I came back for it. It didn't take long. Today I'll make my way to the lookout, which has road all the way up, then decide what I feel like stopping by on the way down of the various smaller peaks near the road. Three other cars have beaten me here. Gate and trail sign on the road to the lookout on O'Leary Peak. The road rolls a little, first dropping and then rising, as it wanders the forest toward the base of the volcano that holds the lookout. Trees and cinder and only the slightest undergrowth stretch out every way. It swings northward as it comes to the edge of the Bonito Lava Flow. Little signs march along the imaginary line between forest and monument as it cuts through one corner of Sunset Crater National Monument. Quite the nice road up to the looko...

Sunset Crater National Monument Click for map. I generally don't think much of fee free days. They have the potential to be extra crowded, plenty of places cannot be seen in a day, and getting there costs more than the entry unless its practically in your backyard. (Even places with no entry fee in the first place see an uptick in visitation on fee free days because people do not realize that the majority of our National Parks, National Monuments, and National Recreation Areas are free to enter anyway.) However, there are a number of places that are rather small. Sunset Crater National Monument is slightly more than a postage stamp in size, but strictly prohibits off trail travel, so a few hours can be a leisurely visit. The $25 entry fee gets you into neighboring Wupatki National Monument as well, but is still on the high side. Noting that the last of this year's five fee free days was coming up, I decided to just take on the crowds. The visitor center seemed mildly b...