Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

If you have ever seen the Hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park, the grand barren vistas of Badlands National Park, or the geysers of Yellowstone National Park, then you know: you can read all about it, and view pictures and videos, but you really have to see it to believe it. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in southern Idaho is just such a place.

As you approach the monument from the southwest in Idaho on US 20/US 93/ US 26, you can see black fields from miles away but it is not until you get close that you see the landscape has turned into a vast charred wasteland with a beauty all its own. Created from more recent volcanic activity of 15,000 - 2,000 years ago, the basalt deposits cover 618 square miles, the largest lava flow in the lower 48. This dormant volcanic field is part of the Great Rift Zone, and the area is so large, it is easily seen from space.

The seven-mile loop brings you a bit deeper into the preserve/monument, and from trails and viewpoints along the road, you can see up close the variety of rock from the black that looks like charcoal to those with amazing reds, browns, and yellows. While the monument at first appears desolate, in reality, it is home to 660+types of plants and over 800 animal species, including a particular kind of chipmunk and marmot that are only found in this strange environment.

Devil's Orchard Nature Trail, Dewdrop Cave, and the Spatter Cones site are just a few of the hikes and viewpoints in the monument. It's all about lava. Of the several caves that formed from lava tubes (lava cools to form a roof over the still flowing lava), Dewdrop Cave is one you can see from the trail.

Cinder cones are created by the accumulation of cinders spewing from a volcano; Cinder Butte is over 700 feet and the tallest in the monument.

Pahoehoe lava flow is the most common kind; it flows like an orange river that cools more quickly on top and so twists and turns, and is often described as "rope-like."

Scientists have known for a long time that there was also volcanic activity on the moon, and also that there are vast fields of basalt in the lunar surface. So, it's no wonder that NASA sent lunar astronauts Alan Shepard, Eugene Cernan, Edgar Mitchell and Joe Engle to Craters of the Moon to study its curious volcanic landscape and basalt geology to prepare for the Apollo 14 moon landing. When the crew of Apollo 14 returned from the moon on February 9, 1971, they brought with them 100 pounds of moon rocks.

From what people on earth imagined the moon to look like, to training for an actual walk on the moon, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is an other-worldly experience of rare and subtle beauty.

Park Details

The fee to enter the park is $8 per vehicle, or $4 per person on bike, motorcycle, or foot, or free when the loop drive is closed in winter. The Visitor Center is open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., except during summer (Memorial Day through September 12) when it stays open until 6 p.m. You can enter and exit the park, regardless of when the visitor center is open, but you do need a Wilderness Pass to spend the night. The first-come, first-serve, self-serve campground is $10.00 per night, or $30.00 for the group camp.

Sources
"Astronauts Visit Craters of the Moon." from the National Park Service Archives: http://www.nps.gov/archive/crmo/astronauts.htm

"How Volcanoes Word: Basaltic Lava" from Project Alert, sponsored by NASA:
http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Basaltic_lava.html

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve web site:
http://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm

"Apollo 14" from WIkipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_14