Craters of the Moon National Monument is probably the most unique national monument we’ve been to. The park has almost every variety of basaltic lava features and is an example of what Yellowstone National Park may look like many years in the future. Craters of the Moon was created by the same super volcano that now resides under Yellowstone. The lava flows and lava tubes that seem like they belong on the moon rather than Idaho make this park worth a stop.
Best Things to Do at Craters of the Moon National Monument
Winding through the park is a 7 mile scenic loop road that makes it easy to see all the best sites in the park. If you only have a couple hours to see the park like we did, check out the list of best things to do below. If you have more time, you may choose to do some of the longer hikes, which are also listed below.
1. Robert Limbert Visitor Center
Your first stop should be the Robert Limbert Visitor Center. Here, you can check out the exhibits, use the restroom, and fill up your water bottle. Make sure to talk to a ranger to get your cave permit.
2. North Crater Flow Trail (closed for 2022)
Length: 0.3 mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
The North Crater Flow Trail is a short and easy loop trail through a lava field. Due to construction, this trail is closed for 2022.
3. Devil’s Orchard Trail
Length: 0.5 mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
The Devil’s Orchard Trail is a paved loop trail through cinder beds. It has great views of the unique vegetation. There is a vault toilet and picnic tables in the parking lot at the trailhead.
4. Inferno Cone
Length: 0.4 mile round trip out-and-back
Difficulty: Moderate
This trail is short, but steep. It climbs to the top of Inferno Cone for 360 degree views of the area. The gravelly texture of the trail did make the hike to the top difficult. Make sure to wear good hiking shoes or sneakers. The trail starts from the Inferno Cone Overlook parking lot.
5. Snow Cone
Length: 0.1 miles
Difficulty: Easy
This short, paved trail takes you up to a viewpoint where you can look into a spatter cone. There was still snow in the cone when we visited in late July. The parking lot for this trailhead is just down the road from Inferno Cone.
6. Spatter Cones
Length: 0.1 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The trail to Spatter Cones is a short, steep, paved trail that takes you to the top of spatter cones, so you can look down inside. The trailhead is from the same parking lot as the Snow Cone trail.
7. Caves Trail (Dewdrop Cave and Indian Tunnel)
Length: 1.4 miles round trip out-and-back
Difficulty: Moderate
The trail to Dewdrop Cave starts from the Caves Trail parking lot, about a mile and a half down the road from the Spatter Cones. About 0.3 miles down the Caves Trail, Dewdrop Cave will be on your right. It’s a small cave you can climb down into. You will come back out the same way.
Continuing on the Caves Trail after Dewdrop Cave for about 0.2 miles, you will come to the entrance to Indian Tunnel. This was our favorite part of Craters of the Moon. The tunnel is a little less than 0.2 miles with rough terrain. There were large open holes in the roof of the tunnel, so you don’t need to use a headlamp or flashlight to go through the tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is a small opening you can climb out of to exit. Follow the metal markers back to the paved trail.
Notes about the Caves Trail:
- You do need to get a cave permit from the visitors center before entering the cave.
- The temperature in the cave is much cooler than the outside temperature, so a jacket may be helpful.
- The terrain is pretty rough in both caves, so wear sturdy shoes.
- Both Beauty Cave and Boy Scout Cave are closed to protect the bat population.
- A vault toilet and picnic tables are available at the trailhead.
If you have more time:
We skipped the longer hikes below due to the heat, but if we had more time and the temperature was cooler, we definitely would have checked them out.
1. Broken Top Trail
Length: 1.8 mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
The Broken Top Trail is considered one of the most beautiful hikes at Craters of the Moon. On this trail that circles around a cinder cone, you’ll see many unique volcanic features, along with great views of the rest of the park. To get to the trailhead, take a right down the road from Spatter Cones onto a side road to the parking lot at the end. Note that Buffalo Caves, accessed from this trail is currently closed.
2. North Crater Trail
Length: 3.5 mile round trip out-and-back
Difficulty: Moderate
This unique trail takes you past North Crater and along the rim of Big Craters. To cut the length of the trail in half, you can leave your car at one of the trailheads and arrange to be dropped off at the other end. The two trailheads are at the Spatter Cones parking lot and a few hundred feet past the North Crater Flow Trail parking lot.
3. Wilderness Trail
Length: 8 miles round trip out-and-back
Difficulty: Moderate
This back country trail starts from the southern section of the Broken Top loop trail and continues between Big Cinder Butte and Half Cone. Most people turn back once they reach Echo Crater at the 4 mile point, but the trail does continue further. The Wilderness Trail is the longest trail at Craters of the Moon.
Heading west? Check out this guide to Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, another can’t miss destination in southern Idaho!
Quick Tips for Craters of the Moon
- If you go in the middle of summer like we did, it will be very hot. It was in the high 90s at the end of July. Make sure to pack extra water.
- If you plan on going into the caves, you will need a cave permit from the visitors center. To get the permit, you will need to state to a ranger that you are not wearing any clothing or carrying any items that have ever been underground or in another cave system before, even if they have been washed or decontaminated.
- As of 2022, Beauty Cave, Buffalo Caves, and Boy Scout Cave are closed to the public to protect the bat population from White-Nose Syndrome, a deadly fungal disease that affects bats.
Fees:
7 Day Vehicle Entrance Fee: $20
First-Come First-Serve Campsite: $15/night
If you plan on visiting more than one National Monument or National Park, I highly recommend the $80 Interagency Annual Pass. This allows free entry into most areas run by the National Park Service, including Craters of the Moon National Monument.
What to Bring to Craters of the Moon:
Make sure that anything you bring has never been in another cave system if you plan on hiking the caves at Craters of the Moon.
- Comfortable hiking shoes
- Reusable Water Bottles
- Sunscreen
- Backpack (I like this one)
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Comfortable hiking clothes (layers for shoulder seasons)
- Food. There are vending machines at the visitors center, but you will have to leave the park if you would like a full meal.
- Windshield sun shade for your car. The summer sun quickly heated up our car. We were glad to have a sun shade to help keep it a little cooler.
How to Get to Craters of the Moon:
The visitors center at Craters of the Moon is about 18 miles southwest of Arco, Idaho on U.S. Highway 20/26/93.
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
1266 Craters Loop Road
Arco, ID 83213
Estimated Travel Times:
Arco – Craters of the Moon: 20 minutes/18 miles
Idaho Falls – Craters of the Moon: 1 hour 24 minutes/86 miles
Twin Falls – Craters of the Moon: 1 hour 36 minutes/90 miles
Where to Stay:
Camping:
Lava Flow Campground at Craters of the Moon (42 first-come first-serve sites, flush toilets available seasonally, no hookups)
KOA Arco (RV sites with full hook-ups, tent sites, showers, pool, 20 minutes from Craters of the Moon)
Mountain View RV Park (RV sites with full hook-ups, shade, laundry, restaurant, 17 minutes from Craters of the Moon)
Hotels:
D K Motel (20 minutes from Craters of the Moon)
Arco Inn (19 minutes from Craters of the Moon)
The Silver Creek Hotel (52 minutes from Craters of the Moon)
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