The San Francisco Volcanic Field, which O'Leary Peak is but one summit of, is largely dormant, but by no means extinct. Almost all types of volcano can be found here, from the violent stratovolcanoes to the ash spewing pyroclastic cones. O'Leary Peak is a lava dome, which is generally quite peaceful, but now and then can build up enough pressure to explode, as did Mount Saint Helens. 8,500 foot O'Leary Peak is one of the larger volcanoes in the area, but is still dwarfed by the San Francisco Peaks.
The Peaks can be seen from as far away as the north rim of the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest, both well over 100 miles away. The 11,000 foot peaks are snow packed in the winter, with nice, light powder that makes for excellent ski country. Surrounding the volcanoes is high desert, which all in all, makes for a delightful contrast of lava, snowfields, pine forests, and desert. The ancestral Puebloan people delighted in the variety of the land, and many fine ruins, some very much intact, can be found in the immediate environs.
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