By Dianna Troyer
In an arid landscape with lunar-like features, the scent of orange blossoms seems out of place at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in eastern Idaho.
The sweet fragrance of syringa, Idaho’s state flower, is impressive at the monument 20 miles southwest of Arco. Nicknamed mock orange for its aroma, the white waxy flowers are unmistakable with their four to five petals growing in clusters on a shrub.
Unlike visitors who smell and see such wildflowers for only a few hours or days, Teena Lord appreciates the wildflower season every day she goes to work at Craters of the Moon.
“About four years ago, the conditions were perfect with moisture and temperature for the monkeyflowers to have a super bloom,” said Lord, 54, who works on the maintenance crew and lives north of Arco. “It looked like a pink carpet—just beautiful. The flowers are really vivid growing out of the black cinders.”
The diminutive bright pink monkeyflowers were named because they resemble a monkey’s face with its tongue sticking out. They are not the only wildflowers that enchant visitors and make Craters of the Moon a destination. Blossoms of white dwarf cushion buckwheat, resembling tiny umbrellas, dot the black landscape. Silver-leaved phacelia with clusters of small lavender flowers also abound.
They are among the most common wildflowers seen along the seven-mile-long road that winds through the monument. More than 700 types of plants thrive in the arid landscape that formed when flowing lava cooled between 2,000 and 15,000 years ago.
To celebrate the site’s 100th anniversary, a new permanent photography display was put up in the auditorium featuring the flowers and scenery. Pocatello fine art photographer Roger Boe donated 30 of his matted and framed photographs along with framed copies of poems written by his longtime friend Will Peterson. The staff will open the auditorium for viewing upon request. Their artistic collaboration was published in a book, “The Flows, Hidden Wonders of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.”
The National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management manage the 750,000-acre site, about the size of Rhode Island.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge established the monument to protect the unusual lava terrain. Since then, Craters has had a profound economic impact on nearby communities. In 2022, 238,000 visitors spent an estimated $9.4 million in local gateway regions while visiting Craters, according to the National Park Service. These expenditures supported 124 jobs, $3.4 million in labor income, $5.8 million in value added, and $11 million in economic output in local gateway economies surrounding Craters.
In 1969, the monument became known for space science research. The crew of Apollo 14 visited to learn the basics of volcanic geology to prepare for landing on the moon. In 2017, the International Dark Sky Association designated it a dark sky park. Star parties are regularly hosted there.
Each season at Craters has its own beauty, said Lord, who has worked there since 2018.
“The wildflowers attract so many visitors in summer,” she said. “In winter, it’s tranquil and a destination for cross country skiers.”
To improve access to the otherworldly wonders, one of the maintenance crew’s biggest projects took six seasons to build. At the North Crater Flow Trail, the crew installed a one-third-mile-long, all-season handicapped accessible walkway designed especially for those in a wheelchair.
“First we had to remove the old trail, then install metal rails and marine board, then put asphalt on top of that,” she said. “After it was done, it was great to see so many people using it. It’s popular because it passes the monoliths.”
Lord said the maintenance workers’ jobs are varied and rewarding.
“We do whatever is needed from building trails to doing the janitorial work or installing new carpet at the visitor’s center,” she said. “It’s great to work here and see it year-round in all seasons.” ISI
For special program information, call 208-527-1335 or go to nps.gov/crmo
