This is a chunk of basalt that has been eroded into the shape of a mushroom. You can walk around it and photograph it from various angles so you can take advantage of different light condition during the day. The drive is an eight-mile loop along a narrow paved road. Best color saturation on a rare overcast day. Artist Drive takes you through foothills of colorful volcanic rock.
Colors change as the sun sinks in the sky so plan to spend a little time here.
Take graded dirt spur road to the west. Any time but late in the day is more interesting. This is a vast area of pillars of salt crystals. The ones near the parking area are warn down because people have walked all over them. You are going to want to walk further to where the crystals haven't been damaged.