Welcome to the Park of the Week Newsletter for July 18, 2024. This week we’re featuring a park known for its otherworldly volcanic features.
Craters Of The Moon National Monument and Preserve
Location
Central Idaho, United States
Claim to fame
Craters of the Moon is both a national monument and national preserve, overseen by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The site is known for its ancient lava formations, including some of the largest open rift cracks in the world. The lava here was laid down between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago, and future eruptions are expected. The monument was given federal protection in 1924 in order to protect its “weird and scenic landscape.”
Reason to visit
Craters Of The Moon was named for its otherworldly features, like lava tubes, tree molds (the imprint of lava-incinerated trees), volcanic cones, The Great Rift (a line of deep cracks in the earth that extends 52 miles or 84km throughout the park), and a mostly barren landscape covered by young lava flows. Most of this volcanic aftermath can be explored by park visitors, though some areas of the park are far from roads and the terrain can be difficult to navigate.
Wild Fact
Despite its name, the surface of Craters Of The Moon is quite different from that of the actual moon, as the monument’s craters were formed through volcanic activity while the moon itself is pocked with impact craters.
Still, the park has been utilized by scientists from NASA and other institutions for research into alien landscapes. Apollo astronauts trained in volcanic geology at the park in the 1960s, and Craters of the Moon is still a resource for those learning to explore space.
Thanks for reading. Each Thursday, we send out an image and description of a unique natural or cultural treasure like the one above. Learn new things, explore special places, and find your inspiration: sign up for the free newsletter today.