Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

Golden Light on Lava Beds
Golden sunrise light illuminating a large lava field below high desert mountains. Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho.

Southern Idaho isn’t exactly high up on my list of places I like to visit. However there is one little area that sticks out that I’ve found so far that redeems a bit of the area: Craters of the Moon National Monument. Considering its size, it’s a rather large reminder of the Yellowstone Hotspot’s violent past as it has tore through the Snake River Plain over the last 16 million years. Its name came from an explorer who described it as looking just like craters on the moon from the amount of dried lava in the area. So if you find yourself traveling through southern Idaho and are looking for a campground to break up the scenery, I’d put this one up on your list.

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