• View of the Great Rift

    Craters Of The Moon

    National Monument & Preserve Idaho

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  • All roads and facilities are open

    The Visitor Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Obtain a permit before entering any authorized cave.

Fossils

Nature and Science

Tree Mold

The earliest report of bone material found within the lava tubes at Craters of the Moon dates back to the 1880s. A variety of bovine-like bones were collected from the lava tubes, but are too poorly preserved for definitive identification. Packrat middens within the lava tubes contain bone material including the remains of rodents. Bighorn sheep, bison and grizzly bear bones discovered in lava tubes prove that these large mammals once roamed the area.

Numerous tree mold impressions are preserved in the basaltic lava flows. These impressions were formed as lava flowed around a fallen or standing tree. The molds display the impressions of charred wood. Moisture in the wood may have prevented incineration of the trees and charcoal found in these areas has been utilized for carbon dating of the flows. One of the best places to view these features is on the Tree Molds Trail.

  • Tree Molds Tree Molds

    Watch a short film to see how they formed... Read More

  • Tree Mold Research Tree Mold Research

    Read more about these lava fossils and about current research... Read More

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Watch out for bombs! Before they cooled, volcanic bombs were hot globs of lava that were hurled from volcanoes along the Great Rift. They form a variety of interesting shapes described as "breadcrust", "spindle" and "ribbons" by geologists.