Crater Butte Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
It is fairly safe where the cache is hidden, but this is a crater and has cliffs, so be careful if you have young kids.
What is the difference between a crater and a caldera? The way you can tell the difference between the two are by size, shape and origin. Calderas are more than a mile in diameter and round; craters are smaller, and can take any form.
Most craters on the Snake River Plain are from basalt eruptions, and are relatively small. Crater Butte is close to caldera size but seems a product of purely basalt eruptions. The many thin layers of basalt along the rim imply that these eruptions were explosive, probably due to ground water in the area.
There are several hiking trails and roads through the crater. From Crater Butte, you can see Notch Butte to the southwest, The South Hills are due south, flanked by Independence Mountain and the Jarbridge Range to the east and west. However, Dietrich Butte blocks any view to the east.
Hope you have some time to explore, you will enjoy your time here. Please come early, it gets hot during the summer heat.
There are several ways to get to Crater Butte, I like going toward Richfield from Shoshone approx. 9 miles. You turn south onto a paved road which takes you toward Dietrich. A little over 2 miles a dirt road takes off to the West
(42 57.234 - 114 15.356)across a cattle guard. Approximately six tenth of a mile up the road you will be at the crater. Vehicle needs moderate clearence on the dirt road. If not, you will have to hike half mile further.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ybbx sbe gur gjb fznyy gbjref, vg vf ng gur onfr.