( Jason La / Los Angeles Times )

Sunset Volcano Crater National Monument
Arizona

Distance: 492 miles one-way

The colorful 3,040-acre park is easily enjoyed in relative solitude. Black rock with touches of green and yellow lichen covers most of the Bonito Lava Flow, near the park entrance. Red and orange glaze the top of Sunset Crater volcano, the park's namesake. Legend has it that 19th century explorer John Wesley Powell gave the crater its name because he thought its rim resembled a sunset.

-- Jason La

Read more: Uncovering Arizona's hidden gems