The date of the eruptions that formed the was initially derived from tree-ring dates, suggesting the eruption began between the growing seasons of AD 1064-1065. However, more recent geologic and archaeological evidence places the eruption around AD 1085. The largest vent of the eruption, Sunset Crater itself, was the source of the Bonito and Kana-a lava flows that extended about NW and NE, respectively. Additional vents along a extending SE produced small spatter ramparts and a to the east. The Sunset Crater eruption produced a blanket of ash and lapilli covering an area of more than and forced the temporary abandonment of settlements of the local Sinagua people. The volcano has partially revegetated, with pines and wildflowers. The crater is the namesake for the Sunset Crater Beardtongue (Penstemon clutei). While the volcano is considered extinct, despite its young geologic age, due to the short-lived nature of cinder cones, the San Francisco volcanic field is still considered active, and a future eruption elsewhere in the area is a statistical certainty.