Amboy Crater lies in the youngest lava field on the North American continent and is a great example of a symmetrical volcanic cinder cone.
Trip participants were led on a hike by National Parks Conservation Association’s David Lamfrom, who has been working on protecting the California Desert for the past 8 years. He was able to show the group several different reptiles, including the native Chuckwalla Lizard, and inspire the participants to see why the proposed Mojave Trails National Monument is so important to protecting the California Desert as a whole.
The group hiked to the crater, formed some 10,000 years ago when the volcano last erupted. They got into the crater using a trail that cuts through the wall where it was blown open by an explosive eruption. The kids especially enjoyed the rock scramble to the top of the rim to enjoy the panoramic views.
Pastor Javier Moreno of Monte de Zion in Victorville, CA, who helped organize the hikers, said that this was an extraordinary day for all of them. After the hike, the trip participants headed home moved to continue calling for designation of the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains national monuments that would protect contiguous public lands for animal habitat, outdoor recreation, enjoyment and study of historic and scientific resources, and unspoiled vistas of the California Desert.
Trip participant Lluvia Moreno, a high school student, said that she was grateful she had a chance to visit this marvelous place just an hour away from her home in Victorville. She’s going to encourage others to visit Amboy Crater, now that she has a better appreciation for these places that draw visitors from around the world.