Once visited by Apollo astronauts for training purposes, Craters of the Moon National Monument is a large area in central Idaho encompassing over 1,100 square miles of lava fields and grasslands. The park is known for its toothed landscape consisting of three lava fields, which, in addition to being rich in early American pioneer history, display some of the most intriguing volcanic rock formations in the country, including minivolcanoes and the deepest rift cave in the world.
The lava fields are the product of eight volcanically active periods that occurred fairly recently (on a geologic timescale) between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago. During this time, lava spewed from the Great Rift, which is an area near the visitor center that stretches over fifty miles. About every two thousand years, a new layer of lava was deposited in a different area, and today the lava fields contain multiple layers that differ in age by thousands of years.
One thing that is slightly forbidding about this place is that it has been over two thousand years since the last eruption, meaning that the lava fields are actually due for another round of volcanic activity. Expert geologists predict that the majority of the next eruption will be nonexplosive, but that certain vents in the northern parts of the Great Rift may be prone to explosions of tephra, which are airborne fragments, also known as pyroclasts, often associated with volcanic activity.
When the next event does occur, data from past eruptions suggests that over one cubic mile of lava will be released into the area, which sounds like an awful lot of hot molten rock for an event predicted to be mostly “nonexplosive”—an indication of just how powerful these volcanic eruptions are in their full-blown state. And for those who might underestimate the magnitude of the next eruption, a volcanic research organization by the name of USGS states that when the Craters of the Moon volcano field does erupt, probably within the next few centuries, that the eruption could last several years, decades, or even centuries. Park officials further note that an estimate of “could last several years or centuries” could actually mean that the flow stops as soon as the day after or as long as two hundred years later and that there really is, for the most part, no way to predict. However, once harmonic tremors start to manifest in the area, an eruption will likely be imminent, meaning in several days to a couple months.
Paleo Indians likely inhabited these areas as far back as 12,000 years ago. Though there is no evidence of any permanent civilization living here, historians discovered that the Northern Shoshone navigated through the lava fields during their summer migrations and perhaps hunted big game nearby. One of the fascinating accounts from the Shoshone is a legend that tells of a giant snake on a mountain. The snake became angry and coiled around the mountain until hot liquid spewed from its summit. It’s believed that this legend could be evidence of Shoshone Indians who witnessed the latest volcanic eruptions in the area close to two thousand years ago.
Pioneers traveling on the Oregon Trail in the middle of the nineteenth century took advantage of some of the trails that had been cut through the lava flows by Indians who had previously navigated the region. Settlers used this trail as an alternative route due to the violence that occurred with Native Americans on their prior journeys. The route later became known as Goodale’s Cutoff and was a rugged path that caused great difficulties for the wagons that passed through the tight and jagged lava rocks on their westward routes for nearly fifty years. Today many portions of Goodale’s Cutoff can still be seen, including in the northern part of the national monument about 3.5 miles west of the visitor center.
Despite what such a harsh landscape would suggest, plenty of wildlife flourishes here in this volcanic field, including foxes, marmots, bats, mule deer, jackrabbits, lizards, snakes, eagles, and hawks to name just a few. One of the more interesting creatures is the pika, a small rodentlike animal that’s actually more closely related to rabbits and hares than rodents. The pikas here adapted to the unique landscape, resulting in smaller and darker pikas that can easily camouflage and squeeze into tight crevices in the dark lava flow landscape. Mostly active at dawn and dusk, their high-pitched alarm whistles can often be heard along the loop road near the North Crater Flow Trail.
The vegetation at this national monument is dynamic as well. Two of the most dominant trees are junipers and limber pines. Limber pines are fascinating trees that typically grow in harsh conditions where other trees can’t survive. They earned their name from the flexibility of their branches that are so pliable they can actually be tied in knots. These flexible branches are beneficial to the trees as they must be able to sustain powerful winds and snowstorms to survive in this region. In addition to the these trees, several brush species and grasses sprout throughout the park, and, in the middle of June when the wildflowers typically peak, visitors enjoy brilliant purple displays of wild onion and the bright yellow tones of ericameria nauseosa, more commonly known as rabbitbrush.
There are several ways to enjoy and explore the scenery at this park. The best starting point is the visitor center, where you can get acquainted with the park by picking up a map, and, if you have about ten minutes, perhaps even check out the short film on the history of the monument. For those just passing through, I recommend embarking on the scenic seven-mile drive, taking only about thirty minutes—although, if you’re planning on exploring some of the sites, you should allocate at least one hour. Along the drive you’ll be able to see some of the key sites, such as the North Crater Flow, Devils Orchard, the Inferno Cone, and the Spatter Cones.
Most of the stops have short trails that allow you to get up close and sometimes on top of the formations. If you only have time to explore one of these sites, then my recommendation would be the Spatter Cones, one of the primary attractions of the park, which were formed when hot lumps of lava were thrown into the air and fell back down to the ground around small vents. The lava blobs eventually hardened around the vents forming the minivolcanoes that exist today. It’s only a tenth-mile walk to the Spatter Cones, so getting there is not a big challenge.
If you have more time, then I suggest exploring one of the caves in the area, since they offer a nice cool alternative to the scorching lave beds on hot days. Indian Tunnel would be my recommendation because it’s the largest, easiest to access, and doesn’t always require a flashlight due to the natural light that gets in. Indian Tunnel is over thirty feet high, fifty feet wide, and eight hundred feet long. The sunlight that sneaks in allows several forms of life to thrive in the cave, such as yellow and green mosses. Don’t get spooked if you hear little critters crawling around in the darkness as they are most likely native chipmunks, squirrels, or birds simply moving about in their natural habitat.
If you want to explore Indian Tunnel or any of the other caves that are open, then first you should stop by the visitor center and obtain a permit. Also make sure that you don’t forget your flashlight because it often gets pitch black in the tunnels and can become very disorienting if you lose your light source. The one exception to this is Indian Tunnel where skylights provide enough light for you to get around.
Tips
- If you’re visiting in the winter, then you can likely get into the park for free. The scenic drive will be closed due to snowfall, but, at that time of year, it turns into a snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trail that many visitors enjoy.
- “Star parties” are offered on certain nights during the fall and spring.