Six years ago in late April, my husband and I drove from Washington State to our home in Kansas City. I had decided to buy my father’s car from his estate, and we needed to get it across country. We drove much of the Oregon Trail route—in reverse, from west to east—with a few stops. Some of the stops were related to the Oregon Trail, but some were simply points of interest.
One of the “points of interest” along the way was the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. Though it turns out that this area was on the Goodale Cutoff of the Oregon Trail—a fact I had not known before our visit.
As one 1864 traveler along the Goodale Cutoff wrote about the area:
“It was a desolate, dismal scenery. Up or down the valley as far as the eye could reach or across the mountains and into the dim distance the same unvarying mass of black rock. Not a shrub, bird nor insect seemed to live near it. Great must have been the relief of the volcano, powerful the emetic, that poured such a mass of black vomit.”
-Julius Caesar Merrill, a pioneer traveling Goodale’s Cutoff in 1864
I agree with Mr. Merrill—the landscape of these craters is truly desolate. The region was created by a volcanic eruption some 2,000 years ago. Craters of the Moon is essentially the remains of a huge lava flow from a long-ago volcano, spotted with cinder cones and interspersed with pockets of sage.
I grew up in desert country, in Eastern Washingon. I’m used to dry, rocky land covered in sage. But the terrain of the Craters of the Moon is other-worldly, unlike anything I’d seen before. It is so other-worldly, it was used to teach the astronauts of Apollo 14 about the geology of the Moon.
The only other places I’ve been that were similar are the Newberry National Volcanic Monument near Bend, Oregon, and Haleakala National Park on Maui in Hawaii. Both also feature trails through volcanic craters, lava flows, and cinder cones.
U.S. Highway 26 runs along the northern edge of Craters of the Moon National Monument, and there is a loop road for vehicles through the park. But the best way to experience the alien topography is to walk some of the paved trails along the loop road. (You could explore the caves, but I didn’t—I don’t like caves.) It’s important to stay on the trails, both for your safety (the rocks are sharp!) and for the protection of the fragile rocks and vegetation.
My husband and I went through the Visitors’ Center back in 2016 and ate a picnic lunch (bring your own food; no concessions available) outside before driving along the loop trail. We stopped occasionally to walk short trails to viewpoints and vistas. I’d estimate we spent a total of about three hours in the park.
When I see alien terrain such as at Craters of the Moon, I am struck by both how old our planet is and how young. It is still being formed. As one example, this year parts of Craters of the Moon National Monument are closed due to seismic activity in the area. There is much the human species can do to preserve our planet, and there is much that is beyond our control. That is a humbling realization.
When have you been humbled by what you’ve seen of our planet?
This is quite amazing! I had never heard of it until now. I think it’s on my summer quick-vacation destinations! Very strange, in a curious sort of way. Thanks for the “heads up.”
It is an amazing place. But it’s not a quick destination from anywhere.
Our family camped across the country from California to Pennsylvania in a tent trailer twice when I was in high school. One of our camping sites was Craters of the Moon. I will never forget how neat that was. It brought back memories from a long time ago when I read about your experience.
Thanks, Marie, for sharing this.
Theresa