Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

 Y'all...this is one of the NEATEST places I have ever been.  

From Wikipedia:  The Monument and Preserve encompass three major lava fields and about 400 square miles (1,000 km²) of sagebrush steppe grasslands to cover a total area of 1,117 square miles (2,893 km²). The Monument alone covers 343,000 acres (139,000 ha).^[5] All three lava fields lie along the Great Rift of Idaho, with some of the best examples of open rift cracks in the world, including the deepest known on Earth at 800 feet (240 m). There are excellent examples of almost every variety of basaltic lava, as well as tree molds (cavities left by lava-incinerated trees), lava tubes (a type of cave), and many other volcanic features.^[6]

As we were driving up to the Monument area we kept passing what looked like freshly  turned fields of giant black rocks.  It seriously looked like someone had excavated and dug and scattered these big lava rocks everywhere. It was really cool! 

The park itself isnt huge. We were done in a few hours time, BUT will definitely go back to spend more time there. Bring a tent and camp. It is a designated dark sky area!!

These lava fields are from all the volcanos in the area, and eruptions from 15,000 years all the way  up to just 2000 years ago.   Some of the eruptions were so violent it blasted chunks of rocks and blew them everywhere, which call still be seen in Devils Orchard.

We then headed down to the Inferno Cone, which you can climb.  It is a steep quarter mile climb, but at the top is an amazing view and vista of the whole valley. 

You can see Finn about 1/3 of the way up.  what looks like the top, isnt really the top.

You can see the surrounding shield volcanos in the background.

Everywhere you look you can see all types of lava and cinder fields.  There is everything from the large chunks, to the long ropey tube type lava flow, to the slow oozy puddle looking lava. It is amazingly beautiful in an eerie and kind of grotesque way. I can describe it.  I guess the sheer power of the volcanos that had created this and the dark and twisted landscape is just striking.

They also have lava tubes/caves that you can explore by permit only.  They were closed the day we went.

Pets are welcome to stay in the parking lots or in the car, they are not welcome on trails.

20$ per car entrance fee.

Idaho is rad.