The old Amboy Crater in the Mojave desert

[California] The Amboy Crater is located in the Mojave desert about three miles southwest of Amboy. This cinder cone volcano is now dormant and had its last eruption maybe 10,000 years ago. You are able to see the crater from miles away. The height is about 250 feet and the diameter is about 1,500 feet. To hike the ridge will take you around three hours. It is a beautiful hike and well worth doing!
People came to the area in the mid 1800s. Amboy was established as a town in 1883 by Lewis Kingman, an engineer working for the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad. Amboy became a boom town in 1926 when U.S. Route 66 opened. People going west needed lodging, food and gasoline etc. Amboy declined quickly after the opening of Interstate 40 in 1973.