Cerro Grande Flow

Hikes: D.
Total Distance, D: 4 miles.
Difficulty: Level II.
Season: March 15-November 15.
USGS Map: Taber.
BLM 100K Map: Blackfoot.
Dirt Road Miles: 5 gravel.
PLSS Location: Section 10, T2S R32E.

Introduction: The Cerro Grande Flow is only 6700 years old. At this age, it is too rough for cattle and sheep to graze it, but old enough to have accumulated plenty of soil. The result: a grassy, flowery, big sagebrushy area offering delightful hiking. The author has hiked the area from its north and south edges, but finds this approach from the southeast the best.

The Hike: Head north and cross the junky area as quickly as possible, bearing left when a fence begins. Aim for the high, wide pressure ridge to the left. You could spend hours exploring just this little area, where the author departed from his usual lava hiking custom of staying high, and instead traveled long distances in cracks.
  After leaving this area of pressure ridges at the edge of the flow, you should be rather high, enjoying a large lava lake with numerous flat plates. These offer ridiculously easy going! The grassy areas your map shows around the section corner at 4631 offer as good a goal as any. To reach them, just aim for Big Southern Butte.
  Along the way, you'll dodge many rugged collapse areas. But as you get glimpses of the grassy areas (low, flat areas below lava level) ahead, the going gets rougher. Occasionally you'll drop into low, soily cracks with dense sagebrush. Yuck!
  The furthest east grassy area (W1) is surprisingly ungrassy, for reasons the author couldn't fathom--perhaps an especially hot fire that hurt grasses, or perhaps long-past grazing activity (not likely as there is no sign of cowpies). The author now regrets that he didn't take a color slide. He'd like to get another look at the area in twenty years or so.
  West of here are more non-lava areas (D) shown on your map, reached by jeep trails. Do the jeep trails service cow use areas, or areas of pristine vegetation? The author doesn't know, but you could find out. Just keep going!

Access: Drive 4 1/2 miles west from I-15 on US-26, to the Moreland Road. Turn left on Moreland Road and when you get to town (3/4 mi), take a right on Parks Road. When it ends after 12 miles, go right (north) on the Springfield-Taber Road. Go two miles, and turn left on a good gravel road. BLM land starts after 1/2 mile, on the right. (This is BLM land, with county road access. Ignore any "No Trespassing" signs you may see.) Drive another 1/2 mile, almost to the driveway that marks road's end, and park. A junkyard is to your right. Very sad...
  You could car camp a few miles west on the Cox's Well Road, which you pass one mile north of Parks Road.