Environment
Flowers Bloom At Craters Monument
June 5, 2016 
Like Phoenix from the ashes, wildflowers are rising from the cinders at Craters of The Moon National Monument along U.S. 20 near Arco.
The GUARDIAN took a little drive Sunday and discovered entire hillsides with acres and acres of wildflowers flooding among the cinders. IT looks like a bumper crop of flowers have made it through the winter, thanks to plenty of snow and perhaps some rain. Well worth the $10 entrance fee and three hour drive from Boise.We share a few images including a rare shot of Mrs. GUARDIAN photographing some of the flowers emerging from the barren lava.
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Comments & Discussion
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© 2016 Boise Guardian. 
Jun 6, 2016, 9:37 am
Guardian,
What do you think of the idea of Craters being a National Park?
EDITOR NOTE–Don’t see much difference other than banning any grazing or hunting if that is now allowed. IT would still be managed by the US Park Service and no bigger or better than it is at the present. I would venture any effort toward PARK status is simply a matter of ego and political pressure. We truly have a great state for scenic beauty, regardless of who designates what.
Jun 6, 2016, 6:18 pm
We almost crossed paths, but canceled this year’s trip to photograph those little desert miracles.
We were at Craters a couple times for the 2010 bloom & put together this little video of what we saw:
https://youtu.be/tyZJqO-luA8
Also photographed the Death Valley bloom two months earlier, April, 2010:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8j7J9oYm6k
EDITOR NOTE–Thanks for sharing. Nice production.
Jun 11, 2016, 4:09 pm
Making it a national park causes huge visitor numbers, which the current infrastructure cannot handle. We have a little gem which the world knows nothing about… let’s keep it that way.