Winslow’s Meteor Crater: we’ve all heard of it, most of us have been there at least once, but not everyone knows its entire backstory. Condé Nast Traveller ranked this incredible historic site among the 7 Wonders of the World for 2020, highlighting both its scientific significance and sheer splendor.
Just a few hours east of the Grand Canyon lies what is widely considered to be the best-preserved meteor crater on Earth.
This incredible piece of natural history is an extremely popular tourist attraction, and it has earned a spot on Condé Nast Traveller's "7 Wonders of the World for 2020" list.
Formerly known as the Canyon Diablo Crater, scientists had the name changed to honor Daniel Barringer, a mining engineer and businessman who was the first person to attribute the anomaly to a meteorite impact.
The crater was designated as a U.S. National Natural Landmark in November of 1967.
The crater is believed to have been created about 50,000 years ago during the Pleistocene epoch, a time when this now arid desert landscape was covered in lush greenery and inhabited by wooly mammoths and giant sloths.
Comprised of nickel and iron, the meteorite measured about 160 feet across, struck at nearly 30,000 miles per hour, and had an impact energy of 10 megatons.
Fortunately, the crater is new enough that erosion hasn't had a chance to lessen its visibility.
This fact, combined with the dry Arizona climate, helped preserve the crater's shape enough for it to become the first crater attributed to a celestial body.
During your visit, make sure to stop by the Visitor Center on the north rim.
It features interactive exhibits and displays, an American Astronaut Wall of Fame, artifacts, a movie theater, and a gift shop. There are also observation areas where you can get up-close-and-personal views from within the crater.
You'll even see pieces of the meteor itself!
This is the Holsinger Meteorite; the largest discovered fragment of the cosmic object that formed the Barringer Meteor Crater.
Guided tours of the rim are available daily, weather permitting.
It might be hard to imagine the feeling based on pictures alone, but the wind around the crater is fairly strong. Throw your arms out as the wind whips your hair in all directions, having someone take a picture to forever encapsulate this special moment.
Visit the crater’s website or Facebook page to learn more.
Have you ever visited the Barringer Meteor Crater? If so, do pictures do it justice? Let us know, and check out our previous article to learn about another landform with a volatile beginning: The Incredible Arizona Hiking Trail That Takes You Past Ancient Lava Flow.
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