Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway
Niter Ice Cave, ID

The cave was formed when basalt lava flowed out of a vent 500 thousand years ago forming a lava tube typical to this type of volcanic activity on the Snake River Plains. This cave was important to early settlers and Native Americans for food storage. John A. Dalton, the original homesteader, and his family used the cave for that purpose as well as a refuge from encounters with unfriendly native Americans. This ice cave represents similar use of ice caves by other settlers.