TranslateUSA, ID - Craters of the Moon
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 along US Route 20 near Blackfoot in Bingham County, Idaho
Middle Butte seen from the Three Buttes Geological Site on US Route 20 in Idaho. Middle Butte is a block of hard lava (basalt), pushed up by volcanic activity from below.
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
Three Buttes Historical Marker #428, Blackfoot, Bingham County, Idaho
Inscription: Three Buttes Rising above this level plain of lava flows and windblown soils these high landmarks are recent additions to Idaho’s landscape. East Butte (farthest east) flowed up and cooled quickly about 600,000 years ago, while Big Southern Butte (south of here) emerged about 300,000 years ago. Although East Butte and Middle Butte have a similar appearance, they were formed in different ways. A dome of melted rock called rhyolite that rose up through a volcanic fissure became East Butte. Middle Butte, however, is a block of hard lava (basalt) pushed up by volcanic activity from below.
View towards the Great Rift Zone near Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho
The Great Rift system consists of a series of north-northwest-trending fractures, which extend 50 miles from the northern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain, southward to the Snake River. In 1968, the Great Rift was designated as a national landmark.
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, Arco, Idaho
The tiny red Desert Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja angustifolia) is one of the first plants that grows on the lava rocks at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve near Arco, Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve near Arco in Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
Wildflowers emerge from lava fields at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
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
