I was in Idaho Falls with my wife. The previous day she had a conference and I did some hiking south of Idaho Falls. The next day we planned to hike North Menan Butte near Idaho Falls before returning to Boise.

North Menan Butte is designated a National Natural Landmark. It is an extinct volcano formed from eruptions about 10,000 years ago. The BLM maintains a trail that ascends the west side and then circles the caldera rim of the butte.

Rick from Idaho Falls had joined me the previous day and I invited him along. This was an excellent idea as he has done North Menan Butte well over 100 times.

We met at the trailhead at 9am. It was overcast, but mild and with light winds. I was surprised at how nice the trailhead facilities were... a nice paved trailhead, signage, and a bathroom.

As we headed up the trail, Rick gave us the history of the area. Rick also talked about how the eruption had occurred in the waters of the Snake River, which created some unique rock formations. We stopped at each interpretive sign along the way and read about wildlife, geology, etc.

I thought the most interesting terrain was on the south side of the butte in an area they call the Wind Bowl. Views from this area also included views east of the Henry's Fork and South Snake River, with the Tetons rising beyond.

We eventually wound our way around the butte to the north rim of the caldera, which hosts radio towers and the highpoint.

Another fun trip and it was great having Rick along to share his stories and information about the area!

We simply put "Menan Butte North BLM Trail" into Google Maps and it led us right to the trailhead.

We followed the loop trail counter clockwise. The trail is fairly easy to follow and basically stays on the rim of the butte.