Craters of the Moon
| If you'd like to try an out-of-this-world experience, Craters of the Moon National Monument could be just what you're looking for. Located in southeast Idaho, aproximately 1-1/2 hours from Idaho Falls, and 18 miles west of the small town of Arco, Craters of the Moon makes a perfect 3-4 day trip from the Flathead. Years ago, while Rick and I were still living in New Jersey, I tried to fit Craters of the Moon into a three-week vacation in Montana and Washington, but it was too far off the beaten path to add it to our itinerary. It wasn't until this past Memorial Day weekend that we finally made the trip. Since the weather forecast called for rain all weeked and since it was such a long drive from Bigfork, we decided to stay at a motel in Idaho Falls instead of camping in the park. (Arco is the closest town to the park, but lodging and dining options there are pretty sparse.) On the drive down we took the scenic route through the Bitteroot Valley on Hwy 93, continuing on to Salmon, Idaho, and then branching off first onto Hwy 28, then Hwy 33, and finally into Idaho Falls(about nine hours including a |
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lunch brake in Hamilton.) For our return on Sunday, we took the interstates home and made the trip in about eight hours, incuding a dinner stop in Missoula. Craters of the Moon National Monument has been called, "the strangest 75 square miles on the North American continent," and "a weird lunar landscape." That it is. Craters of the Moon was established as a national monument in 1924 by |
| President Calvin Coolidge; this year the park is celebrating its 75th. Its 53,120 acres have a variety of cinder and spatter cones, lava flows and caves, and other volcanic formations. A 7-mile loop drive takes visitors around the monument, complete with short trails along the way that enable you to see some of its unique features close up. After a stop at the visitor center where there are displays, a short video describing the monument's lava phenomena, and books and other items for sale, we drove to the first stop along the loop, the North Crater Flow. From the parking lot, there's an easy 1/4 mile loop trail that takes you near a group of crater wall fragments, or monoliths, that were transported by pahoehoe and a'a lava flows around 2,000 years ago. Pahoehoe lava (pronounced "pa-hoy-hoy" and Hawaiian for ropey) is very hot, fast moving fluid. According to Crater's of the Moon Around the Loop: a Guide to the Roads and Trails of Craters of the Moon National Monument, |
 Looking down at a lava flow from an overlook along the North Crater Trail. |
 A short trail leads to spatter cones, which are miniature volcanoes. |
by Paul Henderson, pahoehoe flows have been clocked at over 30 miles per hour. A'a lava (pronounced "ah-ah" and Hawaiian for rough and jagged), on the other hand, tends to be cooler, slower moving, and more viscous. Just beyond is the 3-mile round trip North Crater Trail, rated strenuous in the Park literature. If you're short on time but inerested in descending into a crater mouth, follow this trail partway, climbing first to the vent of the North Crater. There are some steep stretches along the way, but it's well worth the effort. Where other trails in the park keep you from walking on the lava at the bottom of the crater as you follow rock cairns marking the way. From the bottom you feel isolated from the sounds of cars and other people. Even on a busy holiday weekend, we were alone down there. A short but steep walk at the next stop along the loop road leads to the summit of the Inferno Cone. (If you're not up to the climb, there are |
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views from the parking lot of the Pioneer, White Knob, Lost River and Lemhi mountains in the distance, and the Snake River Plain and cinder cones in the foreground.) From the summit, however, the 360¼ view is superb--although it's extremely windy up top and you should use caution when standing at the edge. The next stop along the road takes you to the Big Craters / Spatter Cones area (and the end of the North Crater Trail). There's a 1/2-mile round trip trail to the crater rim, the best place to see the craters for which the park is named. Because the spatter cones are extremely fragile, it's |
 A tent perched among the lava formations in the 52-site campground. |
| important to stay on the paved trail in this
area to stop further deterioration. Further along is the Tree Molds Area
and trailheads for hikes into the Craters of the Moon Wilderness. For
backpackers or hikers with more than a day to spend at the monument, the
wilderness area is reputed to offer excellent trails into the backcountry
and a sense of solitude not found along the loop road. In the Tree Molds
Area, a moderate 3-mile round trip trail takes you to the edge of the
Blue Dragon flow. Tree molds formed when molten lava flows encased the
trees and then hardened. The cylindrical molds that remaind after the
trees rotted away range from just a few inches to just under three feet
in diameter. Lava tubes are the highlights of the Caves Area and a moderate
1-to-2 mile round trip trail |
leads to several caves that can be explored on your own, but be sure to check at the visitor center for cave closures before setting out, and carry a flashlight with you as the caves are not lit by artificial lights and can be pitch black. Also, be careful of the uneven groud, low ceilings and sharp rocks when inside the caves. One of our favorite spots along the loop road was the Devils Orchard Nature Trail. The paved, 1/2-mile round trip trail is barrier-free and accessible to all. Signs along the route describe the impact people have made on this fragile landscape, as well as what's being done today to protect it. Blocks of material that broke free from the walls from the North Crater ended up in that spot and the trail leads you through these unusual features. When we visited, wildflowers were blooming around the formations. Caution is advised when | walking in all areas of Craters of the Moon. In the summer, the black lava radiates the heat of the sun; year-round the wind can be exceedingly strong. It's especially important to carry plenty of water (fill your water bottles at the visitor center as there is no running water available along the loop drive.) Hiking boots or sturdy shoes are recommended as the surface is uneven and abraisive. The loop drive is open from late-April to mid-November and is closed by snow in the winter (when it's often perfect for skiing). The visitor center is open year-round except for holidays in winter. The entrance fee is $4.00 per vehicle. a 52-site campground is located among the lava formations near the visitor |
 Rick stands on the edge of the summit of the Inferno Cone, with a wide-open view of the Snake River Plain and cinder cones in the foreground. |
center. The camping fee is $10 per night per campsite,
which includes a picnic table and grill, with running water and restrooms
nearby. There are no hookups, showers or dump stations. wood fires are
prohibited at the Craters of the Moon, but charcoal is sold at the visitor
center. There are no facilities for food or lodging within the park.
(We stayed at the newly remodeled Best Western Driftwood in Idaho Falls,
across the street from a lovely greenbelt park along the Snake River).
One day was not enough for us to see all that we wanted to at Craters
of the Moon, but it did give us a taste of this "unearthly"
volcanic landscape. hopefully, we'll be able to revisit sometime soon
and explore more of this unique national monument.
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