Today we left the Lolo MT area heading back to southern Idaho. It was one of those days were all the campgrounds we had planned for were not to be found and the ones you did find were either full or dry and dusty. On a whim we headed for the Craters of the Moon National Monument mostly looking for a campground but we are really glad we made the stop. This is a very unusual area about 20 miles west of Arco ID. Between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago this area was full of active volcano eruptions. The eruptions have left the area for miles around covered with lava rock and lava flows. The park has a visitors center plus a 7 mile loop along with many hiking trails across the lava beds. The camp sites are really unique in that they are nestled between huge lava rocks. It was fun for us to see numerous visiting children and their families from other countries. They were all smiles as the children were sworn in as “Junior Rangers”. All in all it is a worthwhile stop if you are in the area. Tomorrow we plan to tour the first Nuclear Reactor!
There is very little plant life growing in the lava
Look across the miles and miles of black lava
The top of one of the volcanoes
Our campsite
A close up of the lava
We were just there in June and it snowed on us. But it was such a great visit. And we loved the reactor tour. I found it fascinating. Have fun.
ReplyDelete