Craters of the Moon National Monument

Nov. 5, 2023

I visited this park in the middle of summer about 10 years ago with my family. It was hot and crowded but this desolate place has its beauty and was worth the time. That trip was vastly different from today as there were not any other people on the trails and only a couple other cars spotted on the roads. The same hot spot currently under Yellowstone is responsible for the cinder cones and lava rocks here. Arriving near dusk, I did not have time for any longer hikes. I started off with Devil’s Orchard trail which is paved, short and has information signs. Last time, I did a ranger led hike of the lava tubes/caves so, this visit I focused on others like Tree Molds and Splatter Cones. The Splatter cones are side vents that spurted up lava and then left a hole in the ground surrounded by craggy rocks. These ragged edged rocks are not the type that invite you to sit down. I had to redo Inferno Cone. It is a steep barren cinder cone that looks deceptively easy to walk up. It was just as hard as last time, just no people to share the cold windy hike with me.