• Before setting off on your journey, please consider the following safety concerns:
When molten magma met the cold river water, it cooled so quickly crystals were unable to form and the lava solidified into glass called tachylite. These extinct volcanoes were formed by violent eruptions 10,000 years ago. A more famous and similarly sized tuff cone, The Menan Buttes probably resulted from the same tectonic activity that still forms the
The twin Menan Buttes are two of the world’s largest tuff cones - volcanoes that form when basaltic magma boils up through ground water. The volume of the smaller South Menan Butte is 0.3 cubic kilometers (0.07 cubic miles). The way to identify these xenoliths is by looking at the shape and color of them. They are the only such cones formed in fresh water in the United States. Diamond Head. Continue north on Twin Butte Road to trailhead. The cones are stretched to the northeast, a sign that winds blew consistently from the southwest throughout the eruption.The Menan Buttes are among the world’s largest tuff cones. The cones are stretched to the northeast, a sign that winds blew consistently from the southwest throughout the eruption.The Menan Buttes are among the world’s largest tuff cones.
Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
They are unusual because they erupted through the cold waters of the Snake River that flowed where the buttes stand today. It is very rare for a volcano to erupt through a river and as a result, there are many Xenoliths in the Menan Buttes.
The Menan Buttes are tuff cones, formed when magma erupts through water.
The Earth Observatory is part of the The Snake River has been flowing in this area for thousands of years and was one of the most prominent features in this area. The volume of the smaller South Menan Butte is 0.3 cubic kilometers (0.07 cubic miles). The Menan Buttes are tuff cones, formed when magma erupts through water. The hot ash melded into two solid, glass mountains—tuff cones—that grew with each eruption.As this photo-like image shows, the Menan Buttes are not perfectly circular. Upon contact with water, the magma swiftly cooled into volcanic glass, while the water flashed to steam and explosively burst from the crater. Photo by Mike Lovas, NASA-Ames, 1969. After 2.2 miles you will cross over the Snake River and the road becomes Twin Butte Road. When the volcano erupted, rocks from the river bed were incorporated into the cooling lava. The trail is rated as moderate and primarily used for hiking. more Dam and flows through stark canyons, looming valleys and broad flood plains until it reaches Henry’s Fork near Menan Buttes. The Menan Buttes are just two of many volcanic cones that rise from the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho. Natural vegetation and irrigated farmland along the Snake River Plain in Idaho use dramatically different amounts of water during the growing season. North Menan Butte is open to non-motorized recreation activities only. The Menan Buttes are a pair of isolated cones of volcanic tuff (formed when lava erupts through water) overlooking the Snake River in southeast Idaho, near Rexburg, rising 800 feet and visible for many miles across the surrounding flat lands, especially from the west, where for long distances the ground is covered by level lava deposits.
But they stand apart from the others because of how they were formed. The Menan Buttes are unique because these are the only volcanic eruptions that occurred in freshwater in the United States, which is why North Menan Butte is designated a National Natural Landmark. They are the only such cones formed in fresh water in the United States. The river’s path was greatly interrupted by the sudden appearance of a cinder cone, but over the course of a few years, it developed a new path around the cinder cone.
The trail to the summit of the North Butte …
In 2010, water has seeped into the salt lake, leaving standing water in some areas and muddying much of the ground surface. Slippery and rocky surfaces are common in this area. Anyone who is interested in visiting Menan Buttes can print the free topographic map and street map using the link above. When molten magma met the cold river water it cooled so quickly crystals were unable to form, and the lava solidified into glass called tachylite. This environment is hot and dry at certain times of the year. The Menan Buttes are extinct volcanoes formed by violent eruptions 10,000 years ago. Upon contact with water, the magma swiftly cooled into volcanic glass, while the water flashed to steam and explosively burst from the crater.