Guide and Adviser
[Illustration: ]
Approaching Craters of the Moon
_Craters of the Moon National Monument is located in south-central
Idaho’s Snake River Plain, midway between Boise, Idaho, and Grand Teton
and Yellowstone National Parks. The park includes 53,545 acres, and the
elevation at the visitor center is 5,900 feet above sea level. U.S.
20-26-93 gives access to the park. Nominal entrance fees are charged.
Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and Golden Access passports are honored and
may be obtained at the entrance station._
Seasons and Weather.
Park facilities are open and naturalist programs are conducted from
mid-June through Labor Day. From November to April, the Loop Drive (see
map) is closed by snow and park facilities are limited. In spring and
fall, the opening and closing of facilities and the Loop Drive are
determined by weather conditions, which vary greatly from year to year.
In spring the weather is unpredictable. Strong winds may occur and snow
and/or freezing rain are not uncommon. Temperatures range from highs in
the 50s to lows in the 20s°F. Summer features warm to hot days and cool
nights. Expect afternoon winds. There may be very sporadic afternoon
thunderstorms, and temperatures may range from the 40s to the 90s. Fall
offers generally fair weather with low precipitation and infrequent
winds. Early snowstorms are possible, and snow is certain by late fall.
Fall temperatures range from highs in the 60s to lows in the 30s. Winter
brings the possibility of severe storms with drifting snow. Highway
access is often best described as snow-packed. On bright sunny days
temperatures may reach into the 40s, but the range is generally from
highs in the 30s to lows around minus 10.
[Illustration: _Today’s park encompasses a small portion of the
Great Rift and the greater portion of the Craters of the Moon Lava
Field near Arco, Idaho. Blue arrows on this map show the route of
the Limbert Expeditions in the 1920s. The detail map appears on page
58._]
Limbert’s route
From Minidoka.
Two Point Butte
Vermillion Chasm
Sheep Trail Butte
Echo Crater
Bridge of Tears
Big Cinder Butte
Big Craters
North Crater Flow
Old Arco Carey Road
Martin P.O.
See detail map
Visitor Center
Handicapped Access.
The park visitor center, restrooms, and amphitheater are accessible to
the disabled.
Travel Planning.
U.S. 20-26-93 provides access to Craters of the Moon. No public
transportation serves the park. Scheduled airlines serve Idaho Falls,
Twin Falls, and Hailey, Idaho. Rental cars are generally available at
these airports, but advance reservations are advised. It is about a
three-hour drive from the park to Grand Teton National Park, and about a
four-hour drive to Yellowstone National Park. The official Idaho State
Highway Map is available from the Idaho Transportation Department, P.O.
Box 7129, Boise, ID 83707, telephone (208) 334-8000. Idaho’s travel
office provides information about cultural activities, scenic tours,
outfitters and guides, chambers of commerce, hotels, and motels
throughout the state. Write or call Idaho’s Travel Promotion Division,
700 West State Street, Boise, ID 83720-2700, telephone (208) 334-2470.
Stay on Roads.
Please stay on roadways and parking pullouts that are provided. If a
vehicle goes off the roadway onto cinders, the cinders are compacted and
the tracks may remain visible for 10 to 20 years or more.
Information about the Park. Address specific inquiries about the park to
the Superintendent, Craters of the Moon National Monument, P.O. Box 29,
Arco, ID 83213, or telephone (208) 527-3257.
[Illustration: _Make the visitor center your first stop in the park.
Ask at the information desk for schedules of ranger-led walks,
talks, and other programs and for advice about camping._]
[Illustration: {uncaptioned}]
Visitor Center and Programs
The park visitor center is located near the only entrance to the park.
Here you will find displays and information to help you plan your visit.
Slides, postcards, maps, and other publications about the park are
displayed for sale. Park Service rangers at the information counter can
answer your questions and help you plan your stay in the park.
The displays alert you to wildflowers and wild animals you might expect
to see here. Other exhibits describe the park’s geologic history. A film
explains how lava flowed from fissures in the Earth to create the cinder
cones, lava flows, and other volcanic features you will see at Craters
of the Moon. The film includes actual footage of eruptions of the same
type that occurred here some 2,000 years ago. Check at the visitor
center for the schedules of conducted walks and campfire programs. You
also can get information here about two self-guiding nature trails and
the park’s Loop Drive (see page 59).
Activities and Evening Programs.
In summer, ranger-guided walks and other programs give visitors an
intimate look at various aspects of the park. Program schedules vary; we
suggest that you contact the park for current information prior to
arrival. Several sites have been designed to make it easy to see the
park on your own. The visitor center is a good place to stop and plan
your visit. Evening programs may find you wanting a sweater or light
jacket to ward off the chill, despite the hot summer days. These
programs explore such topics as the park’s wildlife and its survival,
the powers of nature, and this landscape’s volcanic origins. Some
programs are illustrated with slides or movies and take place in the
amphitheater.
Self-guiding Trails.
Explore three representative areas of the park on self-guiding nature
trails. Devils Orchard Trail helps you understand the complex
environmental concerns facing Craters of the Moon. A pamphlet available
at the trailhead discusses the major impacts visitors, neighbors, and
managers have on the fragile lava landscape. Numbered explanations
correspond to markers along the trail. You can walk this trail in about
20 minutes. North Crater Flow Trail takes you through a lava flow that
includes rafted blocks (crater wall fragments) and other interesting
features characteristic of basaltic lava flows, which are explained by
wayside exhibits. This trail goes through one of the most recent lava
flows in the park. The shiny lava flows made early explorers think the
volcanic eruptions had happened only a few years before. Please stay on
trails in this very fragile area. The park was established to provide
protection for its unusual landscape features. These require continuing
protection and you can help provide it. Caves Trail allows you the
opportunity to explore a lava tube. These caves formed when the surface
of lava flow cooled and hardened while the interior remained molten and
continued to drain. After the lava drained away, a hollow tube remained.
A pamphlet at the trailhead provides a map of the cave area and tells
you what to expect as you explore these lava tubes on your own. Wayside
exhibits point out the most interesting lava formations along the trail.
To see only Indian Tunnel, the largest of the lava tubes, will require
nearly one hour.
[Illustration: _Visitors read a wayside exhibit beneath imposing
monoliths. Flows of lava rafted such fragments of broken crater
walls into otherwise inexplicable positions._]
Map
[Illustration: Craters of the Moon National Monument]
Wilderness area
Grassy Cone
1925 m
_6315 ft_
Sunset Cone
1954 m
_6415 ft_
Backcountry area
Trail
Point of interest
①
Visitor Center
To Arco
To Carey
Campground
②
North Crater Flow Trail
North Crater Trail
Silent Cone
1838 m
_6357 ft._
North Crater
1908 m
_8244 ft_
③
Devils Orchard Nature Trail
Paisley Cone
1881 m
_6107 ft_
④
Inferno Cone
1884 m
_6181 ft_
⑤
Snow Cone
Spatter Cones
North Crater Trail
⑥
GREAT RIFT ZONE
BIG SINK
Broken Top
1846 m
_5058 ft_
Buffalo Cave
Half Cone
1845 m
_5055 ft_
Big Cinder Butte
1988 m
_5516 ft_
TREE MOLDS
⑦
Dewdrop Cave
Surprise Cave
Beauty Cave
Boy Scout Cave
Indian Tunnel
PIONEER MOUNTAINS
GREEN DRAGON FLOWS
SERRATE FLOW
BLUE DRAGON FLOWS
BROKEN TOP FLOW
LAVA CASCADES
BIG CRATERS
Take The Driving Tour
You can see most of the features for which Craters of the Moon is famous
by a combined auto and foot tour along the Loop Drive. With several
short walks included, you can make the drive in about two hours.
Numbered stops are keyed to the map in the park folder.
1. Visitor Center. The 7-mile Loop Drive begins at the visitor center.
Most of the drive is one-way. Spur roads and trailheads enable you to
explore this lava field even further.
2. North Crater Flow. A short foot trail crosses the North Crater Flow
to a group of crater wall fragments transported by lava flows. This is
one of the youngest flows here. The triple twist tree and its 1,350
growth rings have in the past helped date the recency of the last flows
here. Along this trail you can see fine examples of pahoehoe lava and aa
lava flows (see page 26). Just beyond the North Crater Flow Trail is the
North Crater Trail. This short, steep, self-guiding nature trail leads
you to the vent overlooking the crater of a cinder cone.
3. Devils Orchard. Devils Orchard is a group of lava fragments that
stand like islands in a sea of cinders. This marks the resting place for
blocks of material from the walls of North Crater that broke free and
were rafted here on lava flows. The short spur road leads to a
self-guiding trail through these weird features. You can easily walk the
trail in about 20 minutes. An early morning or evening visit may allow
you to observe park wildlife. In springtime, the wildflower displays in
the cinder gardens are glorious. In June and early July, dwarf blooming
monkeyflowers give the ground a magenta cast.
4. Inferno Cone Viewpoint. From the viewpoint atop Inferno Cone, a
landscape of volcanic cinder cones spreads before you to the distant
mountain ranges beyond. Notice that the cooler, moister northern slopes
of the cones bear noticeably more vegetation than the drier southern
slopes, which receive the brunt of sunshine. If you take the short,
steep walk to the summit of Inferno Cone, you can easily recognize the
chain of cinder cones that defines the Great Rift. Perhaps nowhere else
in the park is it so easy to visualize how the volcanic activity broke
out along this great fissure in the Earth. Towering in the distance
above the lava plain is Big Cinder Butte, one of the world’s largest,
purely basaltic, cinder cones.
5. Big Craters and Spatter Cones Area. Spatter cones formed along the
Great Rift fissure where clots of pasty lava stuck together when they
fell. The materials and forces of these eruptions originated at depths
of approximately 40 miles within the Earth. A short, steep walk to the
top of Big Craters offers a view of a series of volcanic vents.
6. Trails to Tree Molds and the Wilderness Area. A spur road just beyond
Inferno Cone takes you to trails to the Tree Molds Area and the Craters
of the Moon Wilderness. Tree molds formed where molten lava flows
encased trees and then hardened (see page 27). The cylindrical molds
that remained after the wood burned and rotted away range from a few
inches to more than 1 foot in diameter.
7. Cave Area. At this final stop on the Loop Drive, a ½-mile walk takes
you to the lava tubes. Here you can see Dewdrop, Boy Scout, Beauty, and
Surprise Caves and the Indian Tunnel. (For how these lava tubes formed,
see page 30.) Carry a flashlight in all caves except Indian Tunnel.
Camping and Backcountry Use
The campground has about 50 sites. These are available on a first-come,
first-served basis. Reservations are not accepted. A daily fee for
camping is charged. Water and restrooms are provided in the campground,
but there are no showers, dump station, or hookups. Wood fires are
prohibited in the park, but grills at each campsite may be used for
charcoal fires. The campground accommodates both RVs and tents. During
the summer, park rangers present evening programs at the campground
amphitheater.
Backcountry Use.
Some of the park’s most intriguing landscapes lie beyond the road’s end
in the 68-square-mile Craters of the Moon Wilderness Area. Only two
trails penetrate the wilderness, and these for only short distances.
After the three-mile trail to Echo Crater runs out, you are on your own.
For further exploration, you can simply follow the Great Rift and its
chain of cinder cones. These landmarks help you find your way.
To explore farther afield, you should have a good topographic map and
basic map skills. You can purchase such a map at the visitor center. All
hikers who plan to stay overnight in the wilderness are required to
register with a park ranger. Backcountry use permits are available free
at the visitor center.
Each hiker should carry at least one gallon of water for each day out;
even more may be necessary during the hot summer. There is no drinking
water available in the wilderness. The best times for wilderness travel
are May-June and September-October. Daytime temperatures are usually
mild then, while nights are cool, but you must be prepared for inclement
and very cold weather in these transitional months. Summer daytime
temperatures climb into the 90s, and reflected heat off the lavas may be
even higher. Long distance hiking is not very pleasant then, and the
weight of necessary drinking water is burdensome.
Safety.
Sturdy boots and long pants are necessary gear for the jagged aa lava
flows. Bring clothing for both hot and cool weather; both can occur the
same day in this desert climate. (See drinking water warning above.)
Regulations.
Campfires are prohibited in the backcountry. Carry a self-contained
backpack stove and fuel. Mechanized vehicles, including bicycles, are
prohibited in the wilderness area. Pets are also prohibited in the
wilderness. Pack out everything that you pack in—and any trash you find
that others left behind. A good admonition is: “Take only pictures, and
try not to leave so much as a footprint.”
Winter Recreation
The visitor center is open every day except winter holidays. Winter
hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wilderness permits, topographic maps, and
information are available here. To find out about current snow
conditions, call (208) 527-3257.
Skiing. Crosscountry skiing provides an enjoyable experience of the
park’s landscape transformed by snow. When heavy snows accumulate,
usually in late November, the 7-mile Loop Drive is closed and it becomes
a natural ski trail. Most of the Loop Drive follows fairly level
terrain. The best months for skiing are January to March in most
winters. Usually there is about 18 inches of snowpack by January and 3
feet by March. Temperatures range from 45°F to well below zero. Be
prepared for inclement weather and high winds at all times. Blizzards
may be encountered.
Hazards. Skiing off the Loop Drive is allowed but not recommended. Most
of the park is covered by sharp, jagged lava, and snow cover may mask
cracks and caverns underneath.
Camping. Winter camping is permitted in the main campground. The
campground is not plowed; be prepared to camp in the snow. Wood fires
are not permitted anywhere in the park.
Wilderness use. The wilderness is ideal for overnight ski trips. You
should be well equipped and experienced at winter camping, however. A
free wilderness use permit, available at the visitor center, is required
for all overnight use outside the park campground.
_Both backpackers and crosscountry skiers find solitude in their
respective seasons in the park. Others may prefer ranger-led
explorations of the park’s many unusual features._
[Illustration: Backpackers]
[Illustration: Crosscountry skiers]
[Illustration: Ranger-led explorations]
Regulations and Safety
Many management concerns, regulations, and safety tips are given under
specific subjects in this handbook. Here are some other things to
consider.
Precautions must be taken when you explore the park because of the
rugged terrain, heat, and lack of naturally available drinking water.
You will need sturdy boots, a hat, and ample, leakproof water
containers. Make sure containers are watertight before you leave home.
Exploring caves requires flashlights.
Camp only in the park campground. All other overnight use, even in
winter, requires a wilderness use permit. A day-use permit is required
to visit the area of the park that lies north of Highway 20-26-93.
Pets.
Pets are allowed only in the campground and on the Loop Drive, but they
must be kept on a leash at all times. Pets are prohibited in all public
buildings, on trails, or in off-road areas.
Vehicles.
All motor vehicles and bicycles must stay on paved roads only. They are
not allowed on trails.
Firearms.
Firearm restrictions are enforced: No hunting is allowed in the park.
Collecting.
The collection, removal, or disturbance of any natural features within
the park is strictly prohibited.
[Illustration: _For contemporary explorers the driving tour and its
associated trails make the safest trek routes. Exercise great
caution—and close oversight of young children—at all times on your
park expeditions._]
[Illustration: {trail}]
Nearby Attractions
Yellowstone National Park is world famous for its geysers and mudpots,
canyons and waterfalls, and wildlife and wilderness. For information
write or call, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190,
(307) 344-7381.
[Illustration: _Minerva Terrace, Yellowstone_]
Grand Teton National Park features the spectacularly scenic Teton Range
and lovely lakes at its base. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway
joins Grand Teton with Yellowstone. For information write or call,
Superintendent, Grand Teton National Park, P.O. Drawer 170, Moose, WY
83012, (307) 733-2880.
[Illustration: _Grand Teton in winter_]
Nez Perce National Historical Park includes 24 widely scattered sites in
north-central Idaho that present the history of this ancestral homeland
of the Nez Perce tribe. For information write or call, Superintendent,
Nez Perce National Historical Park, P.O. Box 93, Spalding, ID 83551,
(208) 843-2261.
[Illustration: _A Nez Perce today_]
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, authorized in 1988, preserves
Pliocene fossil sites along Idaho’s Snake River. The National Park
Service is planning for future needs. Facilities have not been
developed. For information write or call, Superintendent, Hagerman
Fossil Beds National Monument, P.O. Box 570, Hagerman, ID 83332, (208)
837-4793.
City of Rocks National Reserve is a fascinating landscape of monoliths,
spires, and domes used historically by Northern Shoshone Indians and
emigrants on the California Trail. It has become a mecca for
recreational rock climbers. Primitive facilities. For information write,
Manager, City of Rocks National Reserve, P.O. Box 169, Almo, ID 83312.
Armchair Explorations
The nonprofit Craters of the Moon Natural History Association sells
books, maps, and other publications at the visitor center or by mail.
For a free list write to the park address on page 55. The following
selected books may also be of interest.
Belknap, William J. “Man on the Moon in Idaho,” _National Geographic
Magazine_, Volume 119 (October, 1960).
Bonnichsen, Bill and Roy M. Breckenridge et al. _Cenozoic Geology of
Idaho_, Idaho Geologic Survey, University of Idaho, 1982.
Bullard, Fred M. _Volcanoes of the Earth_, University of Texas Press,
1976.
Chronic, Halka. _Pages of Stone: The Geologic Story of Our Western Parks
and Monuments_, The Mountaineers, 1984.
Clark, David R. _Craters of the Moon—Idaho’s Unearthly Landscape_,
Craters of the Moon Natural History Association, 1990.
Henderson, Paul A. _Around the Loop: Craters of the Moon_, Craters of
the Moon Natural History Association, 1986.
Limbert, Robert W. “Among Craters of the Moon,” _National Geographic
Magazine_, Volume 45 (March, 1924).
McKee, Bates. _Cascadia_, McGraw-Hill, 1972.
Moser, Don. _The Snake River Country_, Time-Life Books, 1974.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). _Volcanism of the
Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho: A Comparative Planetary Geology
Guidebook_, Washington, D.C., 1977.
Schwartz, Susan. _Nature in the Northwest_, Prentice-Hall, 1983.
Other National Park Handbooks in this series. You might enjoy other
official National Park Handbooks about areas in Idaho, Wyoming, and
Montana. These handbooks include: Grand Teton National Park; Nez Perce
National Historical Park; Devils Tower National Monument; and Fort
Laramie National Historic Site.
These informative handbooks are available at the parks or by mail from:
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402. For a list of handbooks write to: National Park
Service, Office of Information, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC
20013-7127.
★GPO: 1990—262-098/20002
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the
Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public
lands and natural resources. This includes fostering wise use of our
land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving
the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and
historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through
outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral
resources and works to assure that their development is in the best
interest of all our people. The Department also promotes the goals of
the Take Pride in America campaign by encouraging stewardship and
citizen responsibility for the public lands and promoting citizen
participation in their care. The Department also has major
responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for
people who live in island territories under U.S. administration.
The National Park Service expresses its appreciation to all those
persons who made the preparation and production of this handbook
possible. Special thanks are due the Craters of the Moon Natural History
Association for financial support. Unless credited below, photographs
and illustrations come from the files of Craters of the Moon National
Monument and the National Park Service.
Gary Braasch 28 top
Bureau of Land Management 29 top
Vern Crawford 30-31
Jeff Gnass 4-5, 6, 27 tree mold
Charley Gurche 10-11, 32-33, 36 monkeyflower
Russell Lamb 63 Nez Perce
Roger McGehee 30 owl
NASA 16 inset
National Geographic Society 50-51, 63 Grand Teton (David Alan Harvey)
U.S. Geological Survey 25 both
Glenn Van Nimwegen 34, 36-37
Williams and Heintz Map Corporation 58
Transcriber’s Notes
—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.
—Relocated all image captions to be immediately under the corresponding
images, removing redundant references like ”preceding page”.
—Silently corrected a few palpable typos.
—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.