Did you know there are two "Hell's Half Acres?" There is the one just outside of Casper where they filmed parts of Starship Troopers, and then there is one in Idaho. Most of us living in the Oil City know of the badlands just outside of town. Once upon a time, you could visit the cafe and gift shop at the bottom of the hill. Now it is fenced off. You can look into the oddly carved rock formation that Native American once drove large game into.

Nearly 350-mile drive to the West is Hell's Half Acre Lava Filed. Outside of Idaho Falls, you can find lava formations similar to those you would find in Hawaii. It is a mix of sharp-jagged pieces, long ropy strands, and "windows" where the vegetation breaks through the rock. The lava that flowed some 4000 years ago shaped the valley pushing the Snake River closer to the Tetons.

The Hell's Half Acre here in Wyoming doesn't share the same geologic ancestry. Whereas the Idaho location is all volcanic, the Wyoming location was made by water erosion and the uplifting plains according to the Wyoming State Geological Survey. So the two places don't have too much in common other that their name.

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