Rising 250 feet above the Mojave Desert, Amboy Crater is a nearly perfect example of a symmetrical volcanic cinder cone that last erupted about 10,000 years ago. Geology Professor Nick Van Buer, who hiked 500 miles mostly off trail across the Mojave Desert in 2022, describes it is “one of the two or three youngest volcanoes in Southern California” and an ideal outdoor classroom for teaching students about volcanic processes. While Amboy Crater is dormant, the volcanic field around it could still produce new eruptions elsewhere in the Mojave, he says.

This article was originally published by SFGATE on November 2, 2025.