The monument is centred on a truncated cinder cone, the remnant of an extinct volcano, that rises 1,000 feet (300 metres) above the surrounding area. The cone was dated by means of tree rings found in remains of nearby buried Native American pit houses; it apparently began forming after an eruption that occurred in the winter of 1064–65 (eruptions probably continued intermittently for roughly 150 more years). The summit crater, 400 feet (120 metres) deep and about 1,280 feet (390 metres) in diameter, is brilliantly hued, as though illuminated by the setting sun. The monument contains numerous lava flows and lava beds with ice caves. Forests of ponderosa pine blanket the higher slopes, while piñon pine and juniper are found at lower elevations. Common wildlife species include pronghorn, jackrabbits, and Steller's jays. Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki are connected by a loop road.