A Slice Of The Moon, In Idaho

Our next stop was the middle of nowhere in Idaho. You see, at some point in the past, not too long ago, there was an active volcano right there, despite the fact that the nearest site of currently active volcanic activity is at least several hundred miles away. Craters of the Moon National Monument was set up to preserve the remnants of this geologic event.

At Craters, you can go on a walk through lava fields and up and into a blown-out volcanic crater. You can also climb up a cinder cone and various spatter cones. From a high vantage point, you can see an amazing contrast where the lava field ends and the prairie begins. The most exciting, and as I found out the hard way, the most dangerous part of the monument is the group of caves formed from lava tubes. Heed the warnings to wear long pants and bring multiple (working) sources of light.

For my Craters of the Moon photo album, click here.