Craters of the Moon

On Memorial Day weekend (2017) our sons Tracy, his son Alex; and Dirk, wife Natalie and children Maddison, Lindsie and Garrett came to our house to visit and celebrate.  One of the things on their list of things to do was go to "Craters of the Moon," National Monument.  The Monument is just 45 minutes from our home in Mackay; and we all drive past it to go to Kimberly where Dirk and family live as well as to Hailey where Tracy and Alex live.  But, we haven't spent much time walking the trails of the Monument.

We left Mackay at 10:30 Saturday morning.  The weather was perfect; clear, not cloudy and the temperature was about 60 degrees F.  Perfect for hiking.  The only problem was Shirley was not feeling well and Maddison had a stress fracture of her right foot; so, they decided to stay home and have lunch ready when we returned.

First stop is the Visitors Center

Natalie and Lindsie

Dirk and Garrett

Next Stop - The Devils Orchard

Garrett, Alex, and Lili (Alex invited our neighbor Lili Warbel to come with us)

Natalie, Garrett, and Lindsie

A paved trail 0.5 miles long explores an area of cinder beds scattered with pieces of the North Crater wall. Exhibits along the trail describe the difficult challenge the National Park Service faces in trying to protect this fragile volcanic environment. This trail is wheelchair accessible.

Wild 

flowers a just beginning to appear

One of several informational signs

Alex and Lili

Natalie and Lindsie on the trail

Coming up -The Inferno Cone

The hike to the top of the Inferno Cone is 0.25 miles long.  In that distance you climb 164 vertical feet. Tracy and I decided we didn't need to see the view from 164 feet higher than the view from the parking lot.  The Inferno Cone was formed by cinders spewed from the erupting lava (maybe from the Spatter Cones) piling up into the 164 foot mound.

Dirk, Natalie, Lindsie and Garrett on their way to the top

Almost to the top.

The Spatter Cones are near the Inferno Cone

Like Yellowstone's Old Faithful, the spatter cone chain at Craters of the Moon best symbolizes the essence of this special place. Created during a dwindling stage of an eruption, the spatter cones formed as hot lumps of lava were thrown a short distance into the air only to fall back to earth around a small central vent. As the still molten blobs landed on top of each other, they cooled and adhered to nearby pieces to form the walls of what could be considered a mini-volcano.

Looking over the fence into a Spatter Cone

The snow in the bottom of the spatter cone is what you see when you look over the fence

Looking over the lava flow to the south of the Spatter Cones

Heading for the Caves

The following is from the Monument Brochure:

"On a summer day, the cool, dark lava tubes along the Cave Trail offer a radical change from the brilliant light and blistering heat on the surface. Indian Tunnel, one-half mile from the parking lot, is the largest cave and the easiest to visit. Skylights permit enough daylight to enter so that you do not need a flashlight. The other caves are pitch black, with uneven floors and low ceilings. Be sure you have a good flashlight for every person in your group, and that everyone is physically capable before exploring these caves. A hat and long pants may help protect your head and legs from the sharp rock.

A Cave Permit is required before entering any cave on National Park Service lands. Obtain a permit at the Entrance Station, or the Visitor Center, to enter Indian Tunnel, Dew Drop, Beauty, Boy Scout or Buffalo Caves. All other caves are closed to recreational caving."

Unfortunately, the day we went to the Monument, most of the caves were still closed.  The first cave on the Cave Trail is "Dew Drop."  This cave was open so we spent our time exploring this cave before heading for home and lunch.

This visit to Craters of the Moon National Monument took about 2 hours.  We limited the things we visited to those sites that were close to the loop road.  In order to see all the Monument has to offer, it would take many more similar trips.  To see the flowers and the caves that were closed, we would need to come at the right time.  This is not a problem for us as we are only 45 minutes away from this natural wonder.