The southern butte, the tallest of the three buttes in Butte County, Idaho, towers 2,500 feet high with 2 overlapping rock domes and is also the youngest of the three at just about 300,000 years old.
Middle Butte (left) and Big Southern Butte (right) of the Three Volcanic Buttes that dominate the Idaho plains near Atomic City, the place of the first Nuclear Power PLant
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Lava field near the entrance of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Volcanic landscape along the North Crater Flow Trail at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Looking up the slope of a volcano from the North Crater Flow Trail at Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, Arco, Idaho, USA
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
A smooth lava flow now begins to break and crumble at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve near Arco in Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Pāhoehoe (Hawaiian) lava flow - basaltic lava that has a smooth, billowy, undulating, or ropy surface.It doesn't take much imaginiation to see how this lava stream moved and then just stopped while cooling down.
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Pāhoehoe (Hawaiian) lava flow - basaltic lava that has a smooth, billowy, undulating, or ropy surface.It doesn't take much imaginiation to see how this lava stream moved and then just stopped while cooling down.
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Brittle lava formations along the trail
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve near Arco in Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
The parasitic dwarf mistletoe causes mutations on limber pines called "witches fingers" and ultimately kills them
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Lava - what appears to be only black, gray and boring at first, turns out to be quite colorful like here along the Devil's Orchard Trail
Inferno cone is a mound created by drifting cinder from adjacent volcanic eruptions. Classified "as easy as they get" for mountain peaks, the half mile round trip to the top is well worth the effort. The lush vegetation including a huge tree on the top came as a total surprise for me. And the views are breathtaking.
Aerial view from ontop the Inferno Cone
View over the lava fields from the top of Inferno Cone at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Lush vegetation on top of Inferno Cone in Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Aerial view from atop the Inferno Cone over the lava fields at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Magnificent view over the lava fields of the Craters of the Moon area and surrounding snow capped mountains from the top of Inferno Cone
Lush vegetation on top of Inferno Cone in Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
On top of Inferno Cone at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
One might think nothing can grow on this lava hill. But in early spring there's an explosion of little "lava flowers"
Wild flowers take over the lava slopes of the cinder cones at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, Idaho
Lave gravel at the rim of a crater