THE GREAT PASTURE (PROBABLY)

Had the southeast Idaho settlers who dreamed about the "Great Pasture" had an aerial view of what would eventually be called the Craters of the Moon, its hiddenness wouldn't have been so elusive—and hence, so desirable. The rumored ten thousand acres of lush farm ground tucked away in the lava beds, along with a significantly sized stream, with only two narrow trails into it likely was the area in the Google Map above, left of the Craters of the Moon pin. The tip of that finger of lava to the left of the map, in the open area, is called Lava Point, while outside the frame to the upper right is Atomic City and the Big Southern Butte. Outside the photo's frame to the northwest is the Arco-Carey Highway. The trails that exploring parties took into the area are not evident even from an aerial standpoint, for the trek through the rocks on the eastern side would have been a four mile traverse. The Western approach, however, has only a fraction of a mile, at the lava beds' narrowest points, for a trekker to walk through.

The Great Pasture: BIngham County's Shifting Dreams, contains the accounts of those early explorers as well as other local historical matters specific to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the trends thereof. You can get a copy online at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZXYD7JS/ref=sr_1_8?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EBJ9VSZBMvmn2VF2qkLCSeFUmMrreos6vRQ9rOfiqNTPq9ZRRjxRwlxrpN7xcAjZuRRtPD7SWgVyYz9mwtmppKVcyueJ9T94_f62eCO6tw5FEhfFFupXjSMFQlPDUE5dPswTGnCSZoQnLAZAynjgcviG7OP72Cyz8Nhs4U-40tPYAbgx0evkNl8SXmpEhGTJcGjvEZo5h5f_-nS1dbGUizvEQvUfr2D3-OpbjZO2cSs.B30xVoq9xZLx_-nIMZvA_LUSQv8yU6AHtPf_z1YdHhg&dib_tag=se&qid=1712352724&refinements=p_27%3ARalph+Thurston&s=books&sr=1-8 and locally at Kesler's Market.