Part 3

Guide and Adviser

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.

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.

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.

Map

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._

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.

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.

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.

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.

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_.