The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-10-30
Craters of Moon Road
Problems Studied By
Party From Blackfoot

Last week the BlackfOOt chamber
of commerce sent out a party Of si1
cars carrying a dozen people, acting
under the lead of the press of the
town, to visit the Craters of the
Moon and secure information and
data for an extended advertising
campaign giving definite information
regarding this national attraction.
H. M Albright, superintendent OF
national parks of the United States
visited the place in September in
company with some statesmen, park
managers and managers of tourist
travel, and after making a study of
the region, Mr.. Albright stated that
the Craters of the Moon region con-
stitutes an attraction that is on par
with the Yellowstone national park,
differing from everything else, a
thing without peer in America be-
cause there is nothing similar. 1t is
an attraction that stands alone, with
no competitor, and deserves the at
tention necessary to open it up to
the public, and protection from acts
of vandalism that are going on all
the time.
In the past few years since 1t be-
came known and partly explored, the
burden of informing the public
about it has fallen upon Bob Linn
bert, the principal explorer, the
Idaho Statesman, the first paper to
give it wide publicity with illustra-
tions, the people of the little town
of Arco, the local paper, the Arco
Advertiser, and the National Geo.
graphic Magazine.
Blackfoot being at the point of
diversion Of travel from the Snake
river valley westward to the new
park, has decided to get under the
burden and aid in attracting public
attention to it, by putting on a per-
manent advertising campaign, COM
mencing with the spring of 1925,
and the press party sent out last
week was delegated to begin study
of the subject, and design the activi-
ties to be followed by the chamber
of commerce, such plans to be Of a
permanent and continuing nature,
requiring follow-up study Of the
park as further explorations and de-
velopment are carried on.
The park at present, includes an
area of 80 square miles, 24,960
acres, and does not include quite
half of the territory of wonders.
Ten thousand acres of the present
park area is practically unexplored.
and there is no reason for assuming
that new wonders will not come to
light that are as startling as those
already seen and announced.
People who are familiar with the
ordinary lava beds and have not seen
the region now being made into a
park, have slight conception of what
it Is. People who ask why it was
not discovered sooner, are informed |
that it was discovered and given
some publicity as much as fifty |
years ago, and much more publicity |
twenty years ago, but it has only |
been in recent years that people in |
this locality were alive to the value
of an attraction that would bring
tourist travel. The great difficulties
and dangers attending trip into
the region before the coming of cars,
and the opening of roads that cars
could get over, the erection of per-
manent signs and guides to direct
people to living water and to keep
them from getting lost in the maizes,
kept people out of the region. The
Yellowstone region was discovered
in 1924 and was given an ever-in
VI
fifty years before it received definite
attention and park commissioner
appointed to look after it and direct
the public in their efforts to see it.
The southern part of the park lies
fifty miles west Of Blackfoot. The
northern part reaches within few
miles of Arco, but the only entrance
at present is south of Martin post
office, at point % miles southwest
Of Arco and might properly be called
the northwest entrance. A road
from Carey reaches eastward along
the southern boundary of the lavas,
and an old road extends north from
Minidoka. Another road extends
west and north from Aberdeen with
4 branch from Sterling and branch
from Springfield, leading along the
eastern side of the region, but none
If these roads enter it or are con-
sidered very good for auto travel
Until some improvements are made.
It Is considered feasible to extend
hese roads through the park so that
people can camp at water and travel I