Signs of people at Craters of the Moon are abundant. Inferno Cone provides one of the most striking examples of visitor impact on geologic features. The boots of one hiker after another have gradually compacted the cinders and turned a narrow trail into a broad one that mars the cone from bottom to top. The Park Service has tried different techniques to monitor and rehabilitate the area. Maintenance crews have raked the scarred cinders. Managers have driven stakes into the ground to measure the rate of change in the ground level through time, but either visitors removed the stakes or they disappeared into the cinders. At one time, the staff even brought in a rototiller to churn up the compacted ground. All of these efforts at repairing the damaged cone and slowing the rate of further deterioration have failed.

Other areas are also showing wear and tear. The North Crater Flow Trail and Caves Trail each lead large numbers of visitors across the lava flows. Unfortunately, not all of these people stay on the trails, and the areas where they have ventured onto the lava are often highly visible. Foot traffic can break the outer crust of the lava, revealing the rust-colored rock beneath the gray surface. In several spots in the monument it is apparent that vehicles have driven across cinder fields. The wheel ruts are marked by differences in color from the surrounding cinders and sometimes by different plant growth. Wandering visitors have also worn trails into the cinders in some places, especially the campground and Big Craters areas. However, not all of the trails winding across the cinder fields are the result of people. Many mark the paths of mule deer moving through the monument on their annual migrations.

Another obvious human impact students may watch for is litter.

The process of monitoring for impacts is ongoing, and is essential to the prompt identification of problem areas or progressive degradation. The information which your students gather is invaluable because they may notice things the monument staff has not. If your students have produced good quality work, please submit it to the monument for our review.

1. Watch for evidence of human impact on the lava flows and other geologic features as you travel through Craters of the Moon National Monument. These would include erosion on cinder cones, broken surfaces (especially red in color) on the lava flows, bike or car tracks in the cinders, "social" trails in areas where maintained trails do not exist, places where plants have been trampled, and litter. Some areas where you are likely to see such impacts include the campground, Inferno Cone, Big Craters, the Spatter Cones, the North Crater Flow Trail, and the Caves Trail. You will also be able to spot damage as you drive around the road.

2. Record your observations either verbally, in drawings, or through photographs. Number the drawings, descriptions or photos and mark these numbers on a map of the monument for later reference.

3. After returning to school, compile a report detailing your observations. This will be especially effective if you have taken photographs. Include references to your marked map. As part of your report, answer the questions on the following page.