There is a place in southern Idaho called “Craters of the Moon National Monument.” We didn’t really know anything about it, but it is on the map, and on our way.
We spent the night in West Yellowstone. This morning we found a great coffee shop. It was kind of old school – in an independent bookstore.
Craters of the Moon is located between Arco and Carey. Just before Arco we passed through an area that is the home of the INL, or Idaho National Laboratories. Little did we know about this being a major center for nuclear science.
In the distance, an old volcano appeared.
We stopped to fuel up in Arco. Check out the bluffs, (click on picture for larger version):
Not knowing what to expect, we came upon fields and fields of lava, some as recent as 2000 years ago. We went to the Information Center, then checked it out. We’re not sure who wrote the signage, but were impressed. It was no holds barred:
The monument itself is almost 500,000 acres, of which the visitors area is but a small fragment. It was extremely well-done. We probably wouldn’t plan a trip specifically around it (unless you are into geology in a big way), but we would highly recommend a visit if you are in the neighborhood.
Postcard from Ellen: Sage Brush and flat land!
What a lot of flat land and sage brush in Montana and Idaho. Then all of a sudden theses mountains pop up. Did you know over 50 Nuclear Reactors have been built in Idaho and the Navy nuclear submarines were built here. The waste is reported to be somewhere else though. I hope I won’t glow in the dark tonight!
This is a beautiful place in an austere way. The piles of lava rocks look a little like piles of hard mud. I am clearly not a geologist! It is a national monument. Very well run and would like to be a National Park. Do you think this Congress could do that at least?
Here are pictures, (click for filmstrip):
Hey! We stopped at Craters of the Moon National Monument this summer too on our way home from Eugene! Pretty cool place. I hiked the Cinder Cone Volcano which you had a picture of on your blog. Did you guys hike that? Pretty awesome, other worldly place. Very different landscape.