Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho, USA
We were sorry to waste an entire day on transit during our trip from Seattle to the Yellowstone National Park, so we included a visit to a park on our way to the park :) The lucky winner of our attention ended up being Craters of the Moon National Monument.
It's a very interesting place. It's a lava field formed between 15000 and 2000 years ago. But there is no single cone or volcano that has erupted. Instead, the eruptions happened from the Great Rift - a series of deep cracks that stretch for 52 miles. Lava field itself is 618 square miles! The last eruptions here happened about 2000 years ago and they usually happen every 2000 years with the next eruption area predicted to be near the visitor center. I am so happy I read this tidbit after we came back from the park! :)
There is a short 7-mile drive with frequent stops and short hikes that allows visitors to explore the area.
Our first stop along the drive was the North Crater trail. North Crater has formed most recently, about 2500 years ago. It's interesting to compare it with the older cone to its right: the latter one is more than 7500 years old and has much more vegetation: over time windblown soil builds up and plants gradually colonize lava fields.
Textures of the lava fields are absolutely amazing:
Our next stop was Devil's Orchard trail. So called because a visiting minister, looking at the scarce nature before him, called it a garden suitable for the devil himself. Well, I personally thought that the garden was quite green indeed, compared to the other stops we made in this park! :)
That is, of course, until you look closer. How do those plants survive?!
Inferno Cone is an amazing opportunity to gain a little altitude and soak in the panoramas of the area.
Splatter Cones stop provided for an exciting adventure of hiking to the top of one of the cones and gazing into the crater.
Our final destination for the day in the park was Indian Tunnel. You need to register at the visitor center or entry station before going into the cave. I believe, they are doing it to protect the bats inhabiting the caves: if you've been to another cave in the last little while, they won't allow you to get into those ones.
Path to the cave: not a sign of anything green...
By the time we reached the cave, it started getting quite dark. Well, at least, Photographer had his flashlight:
I think he enjoyed the cave immensely. I might have enjoyed it a bit more, if I actually had a flashlight myself. Instead, as the path was too narrow for both of us, I stumbled forward, feeling the ground with my feet, and straining the ear for any sound of bats.
Needless to say, I was ecstatic to see the opening of the cave and light again:
Yup, most definitely: I much prefer being on the surface! :)
We only stayed in the park for a couple of hours and we felt that it was quite enough. We could have gone on a longer hike to really immerse ourselves in those strangest surroundings, but we got enough of that feeling during the short hikes that we have done :)
It's a very interesting place. It's a lava field formed between 15000 and 2000 years ago. But there is no single cone or volcano that has erupted. Instead, the eruptions happened from the Great Rift - a series of deep cracks that stretch for 52 miles. Lava field itself is 618 square miles! The last eruptions here happened about 2000 years ago and they usually happen every 2000 years with the next eruption area predicted to be near the visitor center. I am so happy I read this tidbit after we came back from the park! :)
There is a short 7-mile drive with frequent stops and short hikes that allows visitors to explore the area.
Our first stop along the drive was the North Crater trail. North Crater has formed most recently, about 2500 years ago. It's interesting to compare it with the older cone to its right: the latter one is more than 7500 years old and has much more vegetation: over time windblown soil builds up and plants gradually colonize lava fields.
Textures of the lava fields are absolutely amazing:
Our next stop was Devil's Orchard trail. So called because a visiting minister, looking at the scarce nature before him, called it a garden suitable for the devil himself. Well, I personally thought that the garden was quite green indeed, compared to the other stops we made in this park! :)
That is, of course, until you look closer. How do those plants survive?!
Inferno Cone is an amazing opportunity to gain a little altitude and soak in the panoramas of the area.
Splatter Cones stop provided for an exciting adventure of hiking to the top of one of the cones and gazing into the crater.
Our final destination for the day in the park was Indian Tunnel. You need to register at the visitor center or entry station before going into the cave. I believe, they are doing it to protect the bats inhabiting the caves: if you've been to another cave in the last little while, they won't allow you to get into those ones.
Path to the cave: not a sign of anything green...
By the time we reached the cave, it started getting quite dark. Well, at least, Photographer had his flashlight:
I think he enjoyed the cave immensely. I might have enjoyed it a bit more, if I actually had a flashlight myself. Instead, as the path was too narrow for both of us, I stumbled forward, feeling the ground with my feet, and straining the ear for any sound of bats.
Needless to say, I was ecstatic to see the opening of the cave and light again:
Yup, most definitely: I much prefer being on the surface! :)
We only stayed in the park for a couple of hours and we felt that it was quite enough. We could have gone on a longer hike to really immerse ourselves in those strangest surroundings, but we got enough of that feeling during the short hikes that we have done :)