Driving into Lava Flow Campground at Craters of the Moon was out of this world. The vast expanse of lava rocks is mesmerizing and cannot be captured with a camera (not mine anyway, though I did try). We spent a lovely afternoon exploring and decided it was most certainly not enough time, so we will be making a dedicated journey back sometime next year.
Our experience camping off-season here was great because we were prepared for the challenges. There was no water available because of frozen pipes, but our 7-gallon container got us through. The sites at Lava Flow varied drastically in quality and size, probably because they were built around existing landscape that begged to be preserved. Because it was a weekday and off-season, we had the grounds to ourselves and took our time selecting the very best site, making sure to mark our favorites for the next trip. Pics below include the moon rising over Craters of the Moon, our campsite, and the surrounding landscape (click on pics to enlarge).
Fun fact about Craters of the Moon: Because of its decidedly lunar landscape, NASA sent some of their Apollo astronauts to the site in 1969 to study basic volcanic geography as they prepared for their moon missions.
Lessons learned: When the park shuts off water due to frozen pipes, remember to put the water container in the truck to minimize its frozen-ness. Uh, duh! It took us longer than we'd have liked for that first cup of coffee.
UP NEXT: We're cruising through Idaho and into Utah today. Destination: Nunn's Park just outside of Provo.
Altitude: 5,111
What we're looking forward to: Camping next to a waterfall. Getting to the campground with time to relax for a while, set up hammocks, and chill.
