Is there public access to the Meteor Crater in Arizona?
- By
- Aparna Patel
- |
- 26 Jul, 2023
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No.
But @rmaddy posted a link to an excellent albeit somewhat niche alternative
Failing that, you can get quite a good overall feel from the viewing platform.
ALBUM ->
Here’s an album of photos [or bit.ly/rm_meteorcrater or http:// bit.ly/rm_meteorcrater] ] that I took in 2003 with a then topline 7Hi ‘bridge camera’. Despite it’s now passe 5 Mp resolution it gives a good impression. (You need a facebook account to view these. Until recently facebook provided a means to provide a link that non-account holders could use. Sadly that feature vanished in March 2019 – whether intentionally or as a result of FB spaghetti bowl programming- as happens). If anyone who is wise enough not to have a FB account desperately wants to see these I could post a copy on Googlephotos.
Editors: Please leave the url shortener alone. This gives me a count of number of people who view the album (and NO ip details) and shows me if my efforts are worthwhile. If you remove that it makes it less likely that I will be bothered in future to take the effort to make an album to address a question. Bitly links have not broken over the last 10+ years I’ve been using them – if they break it’s because the album has gone. Add a + at the end of the URL if you want to check source. A direct URL is hardly safer as an anti-spam measure.
The company that owns the crater notes that there are guided rim walks and a few separate lookout points from which you can see the crater. However, it doesn’t appear to be possible to walk around on your own. Access to the floor of the crater is not allowed, according to a representative of the company on TripAdvisor:
Thank you very much for your inquiry. Our guests may not walk down into the crater for a couple of specific reasons. One is that scientific research is conducted at the Meteor Crater on a regular basis so it is very important to maintain the integrity of the Crater basin. The other reason is to ensure the safety of our guests.
We do have guided rim tours (weather permitting) that are conducted by our knowledgeable, friendly rim tour guides. I would encourage you to make time to take a guided rim tour – you will not be disappointed.
We appreciate your inquiry!
Best regards,
The Team at Meteor Crater
Similar posts from a company representative are found on this TripAdvisor post and this TripAdvisor post as well.
It is unclear, from what I’ve been able to find online, whether you can walk around the rim on your own or whether you must take part in a guided tour. It is also unclear how far around the crater these tours (and trails) go, though the clues I’ve found online make me suspect that it’s prohibited to go all the way around without special permission.
No there isn’t.
The entry price is 18 $ and there is no other way to visit the crater.
It’s not public in the sense that you can just walk there wherever you want. The crater is owned by a private company, which operates a visitor center and guided tours for a fee. It looks on Google Maps as if the crater itself is also fenced.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘