618 square miles of magma. That is the size of the lava field at Craters of the Moon National Park in south-central Idaho. Large enough that it stretches as far as the eye can see in some spots, giving the impression of a barren, black world.
The entire field isn’t just one lava flow, but 60. At least 25 different volcanoes contributed to its construction some 15,000 to 2,000 years ago – a mere blink of an eye in geologic terms.
Visitors climb Inferno Cone, the remnants of a now dormant volcano.
Shannon explores a “lava tube”; one of several in the park.
Bring a flashlight and good boots, these volcanic rock caves are completely undeveloped but totally worth a look.