Craters of the Moon
 

We have about six extra hours of driving time between Twin Falls and Ketchum. Are there any sites in this area or in Ketchum that would be a good visit. We were thinking of a detour to the Craters of the Moon park. Any suggestions would be appreciated. We will be staying overnight in Twin Falls, and again in Ketchum.
Thanks, Lee

Craters is well worth seeing--stark (recent) volcanic landscape, caves with ice inside (even in blistering summer heat), basalt as far as the eye can see. Very interesting.

COTM was the ugliest national park we've ever been to and we drove hours to see it - just miles as far as the eye can see of basalt, but to each his own.

Steve R

Craters of the Moon would probably be a disappointment to those not intrigued by basalt and stark landscapes.

I should add that if you stayed overnight closer to Boise, the drive to Ketchem via Highway 21 and 75 is very worthwhile.

Another possibility would be to check out Craters of the Moon, and, if you aren't impressed, save the day by approaching Ketchum from the north via 93 and 75.

another vote for Craters of the Moon. We got out and hiked - up cinder cones, in lava tubes and enjoyed it.

It's definately the eye of the beholder, I suppose; I'm fascinated by geomorphology, and the lack of any change in the landscape at COTM since the eruptions and flows is mind-boggling. It is a unique and beautiful place, esp. for North America. Cave bear skeletons in some of the lava tube caves (oooh!). Cinder cones to climb(aaaaah!). Plus, all kinds of aa and pahoehoe--what's not to like?! (You can see trees most anywhere...lots of people think Death Valley is barren and stark too, until they get up close and personal.) Anyhoo, you'll never be able to have an opinion unless you go, and our National Parks are all worth a visit, right?

I would highly recommend Craters of the Moon. Husband & I were there in 1988. We went back past summer with our boys. They loved climbing around in the "caves". You won't find any landscape like it in the contentential USA. My 12 year old actually chose a picture of himself in one of the caves on his birthday cake. The is how much he lvoed it. We covered 8000 miles from Maryland to Oregon on that trip.

We visited Craters of the Moon this past Labor Day weekend. It is really a unique and out of the way place (nothing for miles) but, as others have noted, if you are not into that type of landscape you will be disappointed. We hiked up Inferno Cone for some nice views of the surrounding area and also did the Devils Orchard trail. There are also lava tubes which are interesting if you have not seen those before. I suggest the National Park website (www.nps.gov) for additional details on Craters of the Moon as they have an in-depth site with info on things to see/do there.

Ketchum is a great little town with lots of shops and some decent restaurants, as well as close to Sun Valley.

We went to Craters of the Moon last June with our kids 7 and 9 years old. We enjoyed it. Our kids are fascinated by volcanoes and geology. We also went to the first nuclear power plant, now a museum, near Arco. We found it quite interesting, but we like science.

This is another stop you could make if you are in the Craters of the Moon NM area and driving across the INEL.

http://www.atomictourist.com/ebr.htm

Thanks Redrock- that's the place we went. We just happened upon it, but it turned out to be a memorable and educational stop.

I have been there twice, and both times it was a stark contrast to the forests of northern Idaho and the sage brush flats of southern Idaho.

I strongly suggest that you look first at what the volcanic activity signifies. It is believed to be the product of a volcanic hotspot rising directly from the earth's mantle and the location of the eruption relative to the surface shifts as the continent drifts.

I suggest that you be prepared for very strong winds, particularly when you ascend the cinder cones. My wife lost a good hat that way. Even though it was tied on, the wind ripped it away and it took off like a kite.

You may also need eye protection because the wind can blow so strongly at times that you get peppered with bits of volcanic residue.

I would not call the craters beautiful, but they are a lesson in vulcanology.
From that point of view, I thought the trips well worthwhile.