CRATERS OF THE MOON

National Monument & Preserve

By Allen Shropshire

The southern entrance to the Monument

25’ high crater wall fragments rafted into the distance by the North Crater lava flow.

The flow was hemmed in by the Pioneer Mountains to the west.

The North Crater Flow

Hiking into the North Crater

This 3.5 mile trail leads up over the rim and down into the North Crater.

Decending into the crater

Sulfer (yellow) laden rock in a field of cinders

Craters of the Moon is a HUGE national park that covers over 1,100 square miles (over 750,000 acres) which is roughly the size of Rhode Island.

Spatter Cones

Walking across the lava flow in the Caves area. The surface temperature can reach more than 150 degrees fahrenheit in summer. Good shoes and some drinking water are essential. As you can imagine, the discovery of one of the areas caves a welcome respite from the heat.

Entrance to the Indian Tunnel

Indian Tunnel

A skylight in the Indian Tunnel

Wildflowers of the Craters

Despite the seemingly barren nature of the cinder cones and lava fields, spectacular floral displays occur at Craters of the Moon each spring. Starting with the arrival of the wild onion in late April and ending with the disappearance of the yellow blossoms of the rabbitbrush in September, some variety of wildflower can be found blooming within the monument's boundaries. The ability to grow in this harsh environment means overcoming a lack of moisture, meager soil, and surface temperatures that exceed 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of the unusual characteristics of the wildflowers are adaptations for survival.

Idaho’s State Flower

Syringa

Turpentine Parsley

In order to resist being robbed of moisture by wind, the fern bush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium) grows inside deep crevices in the lava. It has aromatic leaves that resemble the fronds of ferns and that contain an oily substance which also helps the plants retain moisture. Native Americans rubbed the leaves

over their bodies to repel insects.

Dwarf Buckwheat

Bitterroot Flower in cinders

Fern Bush Seedling

Larkspur

Dwarf Monkey Flower

Sulfur Buckwheat

The Wildflower Community

In the late spring, tiny wildflowers adorn the cinder slopes of the monument. Because they are so evenly spaced, they appear to have been planted in neat rows. Not so! Plants here must compete for a very limited amount of water; consequently, they cannot grow too close together and survive. The plants space themselves naturally according to the availability of limited resources.

Cinder Gardens

Transitional Zone near

Devil’s Orchard

Devil’s Orchard

It’s a hard life after all

Camping here is only for the hardiest!