Ultimate Guide to Craters of the Moon National Monument – Idaho

Craters of the Moon National Monument is located about 1.5 hours from Twin Falls Idaho and about 3 hours from Boise, Idaho. This is an area protected by the National Park Service due to its unique volcanic landscape features. These features were formed from eruptions in the cracks and fissures in the Earth’s crust. In other words, you’re not going to see a gigantic volcano like you would in other volcanic park units, like Sunset Crater. This guide will give you everything you need to know for your visit to Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho – as well as my thoughts on my visits here. Let’s begin!

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I’ve been to Craters of the Moon National Monument three times and I really like this park, as its landscape is so unique and seems to come out of nowhere – one moment, you’re driving through the high plains of Idaho and next moment, bam! Black lava rock everywhere!

The dark, jagged rocky landscape will definitely make you think you’re on the moon!

My sister and I had to bring along props – when you go to a place like Craters of the Moon, you have to bring along your alien sunglasses!

When to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument

Craters of the Moon National Monument is open year-round, but I, personally, have only visited in the summer months. Summers are HOT, there is absolutely no shade, and if the sun is shining, the reflection off the lava rocks is blinding, so you will need a pair of sunglasses (and not just the alien ones – those offer no protection, they’re just for fun!). If you’re planning on a hike here, you’ll want to get here early in the morning. If you’re just planning on driving the loop road, you can come anytime – Craters of the Moon doesn’t get overly crowded at any time of the year.

Sunscreen is a must here!

A winter trip to Craters of the Moon would involve snow and cold, so you’ll want to come prepared with proper winter clothing and footwear. Additionally, the loop road is closed during the winter due to snow, but visitors can snowshoe the loop. Caves are also closed during the winter.

Things to do in Craters of the Moon National Monument

Check out the Visitor Center

The minute you turn off the highway and into the park, you’ll see the visitor center. The parking lot is pretty small, and I do remember on one visit, it was difficult to find a parking spot.

The visitor center has a short film and exhibits where you can learn about the volcanic landscape here, as well as how NASA uses this land to help train astronauts for space missions. I will say though, the gift shop leaves a lot to be desired – they just don’t have very good merch. I wanted a t-shirt or a sweatshirt but the styles that they sold here were downright fugly. I did get a pin, patch and a Christmas ornament – my typical National Park Service Unit souvenirs.

Also, if you plan on going into any of the caves or lava tubes, you’ll need to pick up a free permit at the visitor center and attest that you have not been in any cave recently. This is to protect the bats from diseases.

Drive the 7 mile loop road

The 7 mile road sounds so short and you might think it won’t take you too long to go through all this, but we ended up taking us a few hours with the stops we made and the short hikes. This loop road will take you to all the notable viewpoints in Craters of the Moon and is one-way.

Stroll the paved Devil’s Orchard Garden trail

This is a 100% paved nature walk trail that won’t take you too long, and leads you through lava fields with some of the vegetation that grows in this area. Even though this area might look barren, you’ll see that some plants do survive in this environment.

Spatter Cones Trail

This is another 100% paved trail but it’s a bit steep. It takes you up to the Spatter Cones, and then loops around to the Snow Cones. The Spatter Cones are mini volcanoes formed when lava was spewed up into the air during eruptions.

At the same trailhead parking lot, you can access the Snow Cones trail. We did that short hike too – it takes you to an overlook where you can look down into a cone and see snow all times of the year – pretty wild since we were here in early July and sure enough, there was snow down there!

Hike up Inferno Cone

This is a short, steep trail, where you walk on Inferno Cone itself, up to its summit for a great view of the park! I didn’t have time to do this during my trip here, but – and you can’t miss the trailhead, as you’ll definitely see Inferno Cone as your drive around the park loop road. If you’re doing this hike, you will want to wear proper hiking footwear – don’t hike this in flip flops!

Check out a cave or lava tube!

Unfortunately, we have never had enough time to check out any of the caves or lava tubes here, but if you want to do this, you’ll need to get your free permit from the visitor center before you venture out. If you’re going into any of the caves or lava tubes, be sure to wear sturdy footwear – again, no flip flops!

Where to stay near Craters of the Moon National Monument

If you want to camp inside the park, there is one campground available – Lava Flow Campground. Otherwise, the nearest town to Craters of the Moon National Monument is the tiny town of Arco, Idaho. Arco only has a handful of small motels (no chains), and a KOA campground.

When I’ve visited Craters of the Moon National Monument, I’ve always been on the way to somewhere else, so I’ve never stayed anywhere near this park (I’ve stayed in Ketchum Idaho and Boise, Idaho). But I’ve looked into staying at the Arco KOA, so that would probably be my choice if I were in the area again and needed lodging.

Two options in Arco, Idaho worth checking out, if you don’t mind small motels are:

DK Hotel

Arco Inn Motel

Other attractions near Craters of the Moon National Monument

Let’s be honest – there aren’t any. This National Monument is out in the middle of nowhere in Bumfuck, Idaho, and you really have to make a point to come here or be en route to somewhere else. But if we want to expand out a bit, within a few hours’ drive, there are a few things you can see:

Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls Idaho: A spectacular waterfall, one of Idaho’s most famous landmarks. This is where my sister and I visited right before we went to Craters of the Moon.

Shoshone Ice Caves: I haven’t had the chance to visit here yet, but here you can tour underground lava ice caves. It’s about an hour away from Craters of the Moon.

Head up to the Sawtooths: The Sawtooth Mountains are a beautiful mountain range, with plenty of hiking and hot springs for days!