Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, national monument and preserve established in 1980, originally a national monument proclaimed in 1978. Located in southwestern Alaska on the Alaska Peninsula, the monument features the Aniakchak Crater. This volcanic crater, one of the world’s largest, is 600 m (2,000 ft) deep and 10 km (6 mi) wide. The crater was formed when the mountain, once 2,100 m (7,000 ft) high, exploded about 3,500 years ago. Subsequent smaller eruptions within the crater left behind lava flows, cinder cones, and explosion pits. The last eruption occurred in 1931, creating a crater 600 m (2,000 ft) across. Aniakchak Crater also contains Surprise Lake, which is the source of the Aniakchak River. The river runs outside the crater through a 460-m (1,500-ft) crack in the crater wall. Caribou, grizzly bears, eagles, and salmon live within the reserve. Administered by the National Park Service. Area, 187,822 hectares (464,118 acres).
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