
Established as a national monument in 1924, the park covers over 53,000 acres. Early pioneers made it a point to avoid this eerie domain, yet decades later, nearly a quarter-million visitors come each year to explore this fascinating volcanic landscape.
This desolate moonscape reveals the violent age of volcanos. An astounding variety of caves and craters are hidden among mountains of black cinders. Short walking paths take you to ice-lined lava tubes such as Indian Tunnel. Another trail leads you to a 300-foot-deep vent of a cinder cone.