craters of the moon out of this world

4 NORTHWEST GETAWAYS ● SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2015 IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM ● IDAHO STATESMAN

Nearly100yearsago,Robert “Two-gunBob”Limbert followedthe trailsof the

Shoshone Indians into theheartof Idaho’sGreatRift, ahugevolcanicplain that

mostexplorershadavoided.Limbert foundanatural geologicandscenic trea-

surenowcalledCratersof theMoonNationalMonumentandPreserve.

Thenaturalist, photographer, guide, explorer, performerandIdahopromoterde-

scribed“avast expanse, silent, dead, except foranoccasionalbird, acountrywithcold

volcanicmountains, a riotof colorand fantastic shapesounearthlyas tomakeonebe-

lievehimselfonanotherplanet.”Aftera trip sponsoredby the IdahoStatesman in1921,

Limbertpublishedhisaccountandphotos inNationalGeographicmagazine.

KATHERINE JONES / Idaho Statesman file

Sunrise comes gently overthree spatter cones along

the 7-mile loop road atCraters of the MoonNational Monument

and Preserve.

Out-of-this-world sightsUnique geologic features, wildflowers and solace await at Idaho’s Craters of theMoon

BY ROCKY BARKER [email protected]

NORTHWEST

GETAWAYSIDAHO

PETE ZIMOWSKY / Idaho Statesman file CONTINUED ON PAGE ??


“Ioffer thisasapleanotonlytothepeopleof Idaho,but totheentirenation, that theymayhaveanewnationalparkormonu-ment inmanyrespects theequalandinsomeeasily thepeerofmanyof the45nowwithinourboundaries,”Limbertwrote intheStatesman.

In1924,PresidentCalvinCoolidgedesignated itanationalmonument,calling it “Idaho’sNationalPark.”PresidentBillClintonexpandedthemonu-ment in2001afterseveralvisitsbythen-InteriorSecretaryBruceBabbitt.

It’snotanationalpark, thoughlocalofficials innearbyArcoarepushingfor thatdesignation.Eightmajoreruptiveperiodsbetween15,000and2,000yearsagocreatedthe lavaflowsthatmakeupCratersof theMoon.ThelavarosefromtheGreatRift, aseriesofdeepcracksstretching52milessouthfromthemonumentheadquarters.

GOTOTHEFLOWS

Theflowscover618squaremiles, includingthesmallerWapiandKingsBowl lavafieldsformed2,000yearsago. In1969,ApolloastronautsAlanShepard,EdgarMitchell, JoeEngleandEugeneCernanvisitedCratersof theMooninpreparationfortheirmoonvoyages.

Theenlarged1,117-square-milearea includesmanykipukas(apieceof landthat lavaflowssurroundcom-pletely)andtheremainingpor-tionsof the lavaflowsthathadbeenleftoutof the initialmonu-ment. It includesa largeexpanseof thesagebrushsteppehighdesert landscapeimportant forwildlife, rangingfromsagegrousetopronghorns.Theprim-itiveroadsysteminthisarea ismanagedbytheBureauofLandManagement.TherearestillplaceswhereevenLimbertneverwalkedthatvisitorscanexploreonfoot,bycar, four-wheel-drivehigh-clearancevehicle,andmountainbike.

Thebest timetovisit is inMayandJunewhenwildflowerssuch

as lupine, syringa,blazingstarandhoaryasterareblooming,paintingtheblack lava likenaturalPicassos.But themainentranceandvisitorcenter,18mileswestofArco,aremanagedbytheNationalParkServiceandopenallyear.

Its7-mile looproadis thecenterpieceeachvisitorshouldexplore.Startat thevisitor

center,wherearangercanhelpyoufocusyourvisit, andyoucangetmaps, informationandbooks.Makesureyoustopandget fuelandsnacks inArcoorCareybecausetherearenoservices inthenationalmonu-ment.

ThenextstopisNorthCraterFlowwith itsdistinctivemono-lithsrisingfromtheyounglava.

Several trails fromaquarter-mile tonearly4milesoffervisitorsmorechancestoex-plore.

At theDevil’sOrchard, lavatowersrise fromthecinderswithpatchesofsagebrushat thenextstop.Thenit’sontoInfernoCone,agreatexampleofacin-

KATHERINE JONES / Idaho Statesman file

Two types of lava flows arecommon at Craters of theMoon: a’a (pronounced ah-ah),a Hawaiian word that means“hard on the feet,” and pahoe-hoe (pronounced pa-hoy-hoy),which means “ropy.” This is anexample of the pahoehoe.

93

C R AT E R S O FT H E MOO NN AT I O N A LMO N UM E N T

2

1

5

Grassy Cone6,315 ft.

Silent Cone6,357 ft.

Inferno Cone6,181 ft.

Half Cone6,055 ft.

Broken Top6,068 ft.

Paisley Cone6,107 ft.

VisitorCenter

Snow Cone

Spatter Cones

Sunset Cone6,410 ft.

Indian Tunnel

Boy Scout Cave

Beauty Cave

Dewdrop Cave

Big CinderButte6,515 ft.

POINTS OF INTEREST

1North Crater Flow

2 Devils Orchard

3 Inferno Cone Viewpoint

4 Big Craters and Spatter Cones area

5 Trails to TreeMolds andwilderness

6 Cave area

6

4

3

TO LIMBERT’S ROUTE

TO ARCO

TOCAREY

Gra,3ra

93

3

9

,3666,366666,3

IDAHO

BoiseDETAIL

MONT.

50 MILES

84

Boise is about 190

miles from Arco. To get

to Craters of the

Moon, drive 18 miles

southwest of Arco on

U.S. 20/26/93, or 24

miles northeast from

Carey on U.S. 20/26/

93. It’s 84 miles from

the Idaho Falls Airport

and 90 miles from the

Twin Falls Airport.

GETTING

THERE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ??

A wind-whipped limberpine on the top of InfernoCone frames Big CinderButte, background, — atabout 800 vertical feet(6,515 feet in elevation),it’s one of the world’slargest purely basalticcinder cones.

CONTINUED ON PAGE ??


derconeformedbythevolcaniceruptions2,000yearsago.Climbtothetopandgetagreatviewof thearea, includingthenextstop,SpatterCones—miniaturevolcanoes formedwhenblobsof lavawerehurledintotheairduringeruptions.

Takethespurroad justpastInfernoConetotheTreeMoldsTrailhead.This2-mile trailtakesyoutooneof theweirdestfeaturesof themonument:Here, lavaflowedthroughagroveof trees thatburnedandreleasedsteam,promptingacoolingthat left impressionsofthecharredwoodonthesur-face.

The1.8-mileBrokenTopTrailcirclesacindercone,andtheWildernessTrail leadstoagroveofupright lavamoldsofstandingtrees.

EXPLORETUBES,KIPUKAThenextstopis thetrail to

thecaves,whichare lavatubesthat formedduringthecoolingprocess,andincludeDewdrop,BoyScout,BeautyandIndianTunnels.Thehalf-milehike isafavoriteofkidsofallages,whoenjoyexploringthedarkca-

vernsofweirdnesswithflash-lights.Notethat IndianTunnelrequiresacavepermit.

Thelooproad’sattractionscanbeseeninadayorafewdays,dependingonyourcuri-osity.For thedaytripper, thereismorethanenoughtokeepyoubusy. Ifyouaremakingthisaweekendtrip, there isaNationalParkServiceCampgroundinthemonument.

I recommendyoudon’t limityourtriptothe looproad.What’snext?Oneword:Kipuka.

These islandsofsagebrushoffera lookat the landscape,somethat’sstilluntouchedorevenvisitedbyhumans.

Thereare550knownkipukasinCraters, rangingfromatenthofanacretothe largest, thescenic90,000-acreLaidlawPark.Thesewereamongthefeatures thatconvincedInteriorSecretaryBruceBabbittandPresidentClintontoexpandthearea in2001.

InLaidlawPark,Babbitt laidamaponarockandworkedwithseveralof thearea’s ranchers todeterminetheboundaries thatallowgrazingtocontinue inthemonument.

Today, thisareaoffersanadventureexperiencefew

visitorshavediscovered.Geta travelplanmapfrom

thevisitorcenter, theBLMinShoshone,or fromvisitorcen-ters inTwinFallsorIdahoFalls.

BYMOUNTAINBIKEOR4-WHEELDRIVE

FromtheCratersVisitorCenter, it’sabout25miles totheCarey-Kimama-LaidlawParkRoad,whereyouturn left.Atabout2miles,youcometoakioskwhereyouturnright. It’sagravelroadsomostcarscanmakeit fine intoLaidlawParkacrossPaddelfordandLittleKipukas,about12miles fromthekiosk.

This isagoodplacetounloadthemountainbikes,withroadsthat takeyoutoBigBlowoutButte,SnowdriftCrater,or tothetrailofCareyKipuka.This180-acrekipuka is loadedwith6-foot-highbunchgrasses thatscientistssayhavebeenun-affectedbylivestockgrazingorits fewhumanvisitors.

Youneedafour-wheeldrive,high-clearancevehicleormountainbiketoreachthiswildernessstudyareavia itsdirt road.Thehikefromtheroad-closedsignisabout1.5miles.VisitorscandrivetheCarey-KimamaRoadsouthtoMinidokaandthesouthernendof themonumentor theArco-MinidokaRoad.Youshouldhaveafour-wheelhigh-clearancevehicle forbothof theseroads, thoughportionsaremaintainedandgravel.

Features includeBearTrapCave,a large lavatubethat’s150-feet longandperhapsthemost interesting,andKingsBowl,abreathtakingamphi-theater-sizecavethatrequiresapermit toexplore.YouneedtotakethePleasantValleyRoadfromthesouthtoreachthisareatheNationalParkServicehopessomedaytodevelopforeasieraccessandinterpretation.

PETE ZIMOWSKY / Idaho Statesman file

Craters of the Moonoffers hiking trailswith unusual views,many from ruggedlava flows calledfissure eruptions.

Plan your trip

➤Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve Visitor Center,

208-527-1335, nps.gov/crmo

Fee: $8 a week when automobiles can enter the monument. There is no fee

at other entry points into the monument or preserve. Note that the Craters

campgrounds will be closed in July and August for renovations.

➤BLM’s Shoshone Field Office, 208-732-7200, blm.gov/wo/st/en/res/

Education_in_BLM/Learning_Landscapes/For_Travelers/go/geology/cra-

ters_of_the_moon.print.html

LODGING AND FOOD

There are several motels and restaurants in Arco and a few restaurants in

Carey.

MAJOR HAPPENINGS

July 16 to 18: Atomic Days celebrates Arco’s status as the first city lit with

nuclear power, which happened for about two hours on July 17, 1955. This

year is the 60th anniversary celebration and includes a rodeo.

OTHER AREA ATTRACTIONS

Minidoka National Historic Site near Jerome honors the Japanese Amer-

icans who were imprisoned at the Minidoka War Relocation Center during

World War II.

City of Rocks National Reserve near Malta is a National Park Service area

with spires and steeples of tall rocks that look like a city. It’s a popular rock

climbing area.

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in Hagerman has the largest

concentration of horse fossils in the world.

Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1 (EBR-I) Atomic Museum is on U.S.

Highway 20/26 between Idaho Falls and Arco. The facility is a National

Historic Landmark where usable electricity was first generated from nuclear

energy in 1951.

The best

time to visit

is in May

and June

when

wildflowers

such as

lupine,

syringa and

hoary aster

are

blooming,

painting

the black

lava like

natural

Picassos.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ??

craters of the moon out of this world

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