Craters Of The Moon National Monument

Hike up 6515-foot Big Cinder Butte for a look at Craters of the Moon

Craters of the Moon can be found in Idaho, too.

A pockmarked landscape isn't only to be seen on Earth's satellite.

Early settlers in south central Idaho near Arco thought the extensive lava flows looked like something they would find out in space, so they bestowed a variety of lunar names on what later became a national monument.

A magazine article popularized Craters of the Moon, so that's what it was called when it was made into a national monument in 1924.

While the landscape is stark, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve also has a genuine scenic setting at the north edge of the lava flow where U.S. 20/26 skirt the edge. The is the southern edge of the Pioneer Mountains, which also have some very high-priced real estate up north around Sun Valley.

Yes, the main highway past the Craters of the Moon is the eastward extension of two of Oregon's great east-west roads, from Seaside to Nyssa (U.S. 26) and Newport to Nyssa (U.S. 20).

Oregonians most frequently drive past Craters of the Moon on their way to or from the national parks of Wyoming: Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

Take time to stop at the Craters of the Moon visitor center, where you will learn that the current volcanic hotspot under Yellowstone most likely was once under Craters of the Moon and left its calling card behind.

Limber pines growing in the lava make for a scenic hike to the top of 6,515-foot Big Cinder Butte, just south of the visitor center. From there, a nearly barren lava scape stretches south for more than 50 miles, all the way to the Snake River.

Learn more about Craters of the Moon from these websites:

"Craters of the Moon lies at the north edge of the eastern Snake River Plain. There are two distinct landforms in the monument: the foothills of the Pioneer Mountains in the north give way to the low relief of the lava flows in the rest of the monument. The monument's highest elevation is in the Pioneer Mountains, 7,729 feet above sea level. The lowest elevation is about 5,330 feet located in the southeast corner of the monument." _ From Idaho State University.

"Described as a "weird and scenic landscape", Craters of the Moon certainly lives up to its reputation. It was established in 1924 to preserve the unique volcanic features of this enormous lava field." _ From Visit Idaho and Idaho Tourism.

Wanderlust: Craters of the Moon National Monument-2

Breakfast was cereal (a decision I regretted later while hiking), and then we went to the Visitor Center. They have some great explanations of the formation of the park, including 2 short movies. This area is over the same "hot spot" that created Yellowstone--and beginning 15,000 years ago the Great Rift formed, running north-south on the Snake River Plain. There have been numerous lava flows and eruptions since then, forming different types of lava and cones. After our Visitor Center experience, we drove out on the road through the upper monument. We were disappointed to find several major areas closed due to construction, and I wondered aloud why it all had to be done at the same time. If I were queen I would have done one section at a time so as not to inconvenience visitors with more than one closure at at time. But I'm not queen, so we had to drive by the North Crater Flow area, the Devil's Orchard, and the Spatter Cones and Big Craters Area. We came back to the trailer around 1, ate some lunch, and made a quick run into Arco for some beer and produce. Right now we're weather-watching. A huge front that impacted northern California and Nevada has finally made its way here. The skies are overcast, it's sprinkling occasionally, and the wind is gusting pretty heavily. But it's not too cold, and we're inside.

Photo: Craters of the Moon National Monument. Idaho

Craters of the Moon National Monument -

I'm at Craters of the Moon National Monument (Arco)

Craters of the Moon National Monument, historic context statements

Craters of the Moon National Monument

The Landscapes of Craters of the Moon National Monument, An Evaluation of Environmental Changes

Craters of the Moon National Monument now encompasses 54000 acres with elevations ranging from 4940 to 7, l 60 feet. A map of the monument with major ...

Geology of U.S. parklands

CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT (IDAHO) Early History Paleo-Indians were in the area some 12000 years ago but left little evidence of their presence. ...

The Great American Wilderness, Touring America's National Parks

Craters of the Moon National Monument Only in Hawaii will you be able to find a greater number of volcanic basalt formations. At Craters of the Moon, ...