Craters of the Moon National Monument

From North Salt Lake City, Utah

We had decided earlier this summer to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument if we were close to the area.  Waiting to later in the year to visit was a great idea since it can get quite warm out on the lava beds when the sun beating down.

Geologically speaking, this was the place to be about 2000 years ago when the volcanos begin erupting.  These weren't the big towering volcanos seen in Hawaii, Alaska, and along the Cascades, but kind of small oozey ones.  This area is known as the Great Rift for the way volcanos erupted along a rift in the earth's surface.  This area is also part of an area in the earth's crust which has moved from northeast California to it's present location in Wyoming.  Yellowstone National Park sits on top of the very top of the same type of structure which formed Craters of the Moon.

Astronauts did train here prior to the moon landings.  Mary and I remember the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions as they all happen during our years in elementary, junior high, high school, and college years.  We had been married two weeks when the first moon landings took place.

If you want to study lava, Craters is a lot closer than Hawaii.  Craters has examples of most types of volcanic rock produced from the smooth pahoehoe, the really rugged a', a, cinders, to lava bombs, cinder cones and kipukas (islands).

Example of pahoehoe lavas.

And a', a lava.

You can easily walk across pahoehoe, but a', a will shred you boots because of the sharp, exposed edges.  

Vegetation is pretty sparse in the lava flows but it isn't non-existent.  Even the barest areas seems to have something growing in them.  We found out it is called dwarf buckwheat.

And it blooms (although normally only in the Spring)

Cinder cones are the last dying gasp of a volcano.  Craters has an area with a number of them, including two you can climb to the top and look down the throat.

Kipukas are islands of normal terrain that was surrounded by lava flows.  They become sanctuaries to plants and animals.  The ones in Crater are not accessible to visitors.  This one is several miles from the closest road.

The last feature of Crater are the lava caves, which we did not visit.  These are free caves, i.e. they are not developed and you are completely on your own if you visit them.  

Craters of the Moon is a worthwhile stop.  You can easily tour the entire park in one day (pack a lunch as there is nothing closer than 20 miles away), bring plenty of water (it is extremely dry and the wind blows constantly, and be sure and catch the two movies about the park.