President Coolidge established Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (“CotM”) in 1924 to protect the “weird and scenic landscape peculiar to itself.” While there are other places in the world to see lava terrain, CotM is truly unique with cones, caves, and, of course, craters. With trails and overlooks, this park is a great place to visit if you are in southern Idaho and is a highlight of any Idaho itinerary.
This national monument seems more like a national park. Visiting is a surreal, otherworldly experience! Idaho is already a unique state with highly varied geography and geology, but Craters of the Moon is a rare glimpse into volcanic activity in the continental US. Featuring cinder cones and vast lava flows, it seems out of place until you consider that it’s only three hours’ drive to Yellowstone National Park.
Much of the park can be seen along the 7-Mile Loop Road in a couple of hours to a half-day depending on how much time you spend at each stop. Hikers will want more time. Our favorite hike is the Broken Top Loop Trail. Spelunkers can have fun exploring lava tube caves!
Getting to Craters of the Moon
CotM is right off US Highway 20/26/93 about 18 miles southwest of Arco, ID. It takes about 2.5 hours to get there from Boise and about 1.5 hours from Twin Falls. Other relatively nearby destinations are Salt Lake City at 4.5 hours to the south, and Yellowstone National Park, which lies about 3 hours’ drive to the northeast.
The park entrance fee is $20 per vehicle or an “America the Beautiful Pass”, which covers all national parks in the USA for a year (click here). If you are visiting during colder times of the year, be sure to check the specific dates that the roads in the park are closed to vehicles. While the park is open every day of the year, typically the loop road is closed December 2 – April 30 each winter season. If you like cross-country skiing or winter camping, Craters of the Moon is a great place to consider.
7-Mile Loop Road ★★★
The major attraction at Craters of the Moon National Monument is the “7-Mile Loop Road.” The park Brochure map highlights seven “points of interest” areas, beginning with the Visitor Center and ending with the Caves Area. Five of the points of interest are on the loop road and one is accessed from the loop road. We will describe the sights and trails for each of the points of interest below.
#1 – Robert Limbert Visitor Center – Craters of the Moon National Monument
The visitor center is right inside the preserve off US Hwy 20. It has good facilities and the usual types of displays and information for a National Park. It’s worth a stop to pick up the activities and events newspaper and to find out about range programs and other events. Don’t forget to pick up a free permit for the caves (#7 below). The campground entrance is just past the visitor center.
#2 – North Crater Flow Trail
A half mile past the visitor center on the right is North Flow Crater Trail, a short, paved trail through a lava field. There is also a boardwalk over the flow at some points. White salt deposits contrast with the lava, creating a great photo spot. This lava flow is a pahoehoe lava flow (see lava flow types). There are other types of flows and lava formations to see within CotM. From the North Crater Flow Trail, you can also see the North Cone.
The drive to the next point of interest is worth a little time. There are pull-offs and opportunities to look at the different types of lava formations and vegetation fields. Wildflowers bloom in June at CotM.
#3 – Devil’s Orchard Nature Trail
Third, Devil’s Orchard, is the next point of interest you come to as you continue the drive toward the loop road. This area has picnic tables and plenty of parking. The nature trail is only 0.5 miles, paved, and fully accessible. Complete with interpretive and information signs, this path provides views of colorful and interesting rock formations and vegetation.
#4 – Inferno Cone
Next there is the Inferno Cone, a popular area, with ample parking at the trailhead. From the parking lot, you will see the path to the top of the grey cone stretching up to 360 degree views of CotM and beyond. First, to the south, you can see a handful of cones as well as sinks and then to the southwest lava flows, the Spatter Cones, and Snow Cone. Next, the Pioneer Mountains are to the northeast and the Snake River Plain. The Teton Range is 100 miles to the east and is sometimes visible on clear days.
#5 – Snow Cone and Spatter Cones
It’s a short distance from the Inferno Cones parking lot to the Spatter Cones parking lot. From here a short trail (0.1 mile) winds you up to the Spatter Cone where you can look down into the inactive, small volcano. An even shorter trail takes you to a small snow cone where you can look into the vent. Notably, these trails will take less than 30 minutes. The Snow Cone trail is wheelchair accessible.
From the Spatter Cone Trailhead you can pick up the North Crater Trail (1.75 mile one-way) that loops back down the North Crater Flow Trail parking area. Don’t confuse the two trails with similar names! Although you may not want to make the 3.5 mile round-trip, you can take the North Crater Trail for a half mile to see ‘Big Craters.’
The elevation climb is about 700 ft from the Spatter Cones parking area to fantastic views of Big Crater, to the west of the park, and cones and the wilderness area to the south. From here, the North Crater Trail winds its way along the rim of the crater and meanders down toward the North Crater Flow area.
#6 – Tree Molds and Broken Top Area
Next, is the Broken Top Area with the Tree Molds parking lot which is about 1.25 miles off the loop road. There are three trails accessible from this parking lot. The trail head for Tree Molds and Broken Top Loop Trails (each 1.8 Miles) are at the south end of the lot. The Wilderness trail (7.6 miles) cuts off the Broken Top Loop Trail to the right just a tenth of a mile after the start.
Overnight backpacking trips require permits, which are free and can be obtained at the Visitor Center. Note that many of the caves in the Wilderness area are often closed to protect bats.
The Tree Mold Trail ends at a lava formation. The lava flow encased a living tree, forming the Tree Mold.
Broken Top Loop Trail – Our Favorite Hike ★★★
The Broken Top Loop Trail is a fantastic hike in CotM that allows you to see a lot with minimal time and energy investment. It’s 1.8 miles roundtrip and is relatively flat. The trail is accessed from the Tree Molds parking lot. The Broken Top Loop Trail showcases a variety of types of lava formations and flows, not to mention great views of the park and surrounding areas. Interpretive signs along the trail aid in understanding the geology, making this a great, educational hike for families. Don’t miss the Big Sink Overlook, just a short jaunt off the main loop trail at about the halfway. Note that, while this trail also provides access to the Buffalo Caves, they are now closed to protect bats.
#7- Caves and Tunnels at Craters of the Moon ★★
The final point of interest area is the Caves Area. While last on the list, this area is certainly not the least. Four caves are reached via a 1.6 mile round trip trail. The trail T’s after about half a mile into a path that leads to the right to Indian Tunnel Cave, to the left to Boy Scout Cave and Beauty Cave, and at the junction is the entrance to Dewdrop Cave. Note: A free permit, available at the Visitor Center, is required to enter Indian Tunnel Cave and Dewdrop Cave. As of this writing, Boy Scout Cave and Beauty Cave are not open to protect bat populations.
Indian Tunnel was our favorite cave and has two entrances and easy visibility to the inside of the cave. This cave, like the others at CotM, is a lava tunnel, part of which collapsed in the past. Conveniently, there are stairs to help you get out on the far end of the cave.
The Dewdrop Cave is small and has a small entrance. So, you might want to skip this one, if it is crowded.
Beauty Cave is deep and dark and allows one to get nearly engulfed in complete darkness. The Beauty Cave entrance has boulders to climb over to reach the floor of the cave. You will need a flashlight to explore the back of the cave (a cell phone should do).
Caves are often closed at CotM to protect bat populations. Signs will indicate which are open and the visitor center will have the latest information.
Trails and Other Sights
The following table provides an overview of the trails at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve:
| Trails | Length (miles) | Description and Difficulty |
| North Crater Flow | 0.3 | Easy paved loop trail. Wheelchair accessible. |
| Devil’s Orchard Nature Trail | 0.5 | Easy gravel trail. Loop |
| Inferno Cone | 0.8 | Moderate with a climb to the top of the Cone. In-and-Out. |
| Snow Cone and Splatter Cones | 0.2 | Easy and wheelchair accessible. |
| North Crater Trail | 3.5 (round trip) | Moderate in-and-out trail. Elevation gain 758 ft. From either North Crater Trailhead or Spatter Cones Parking Area |
| Broken Top Loop Trail | 1.8 | Moderate loop with elevation gain: 242 ft (74 m). From Tree Molds Parking |
| Tree Molds Trail | 1.8 | Easy in-and-out trail. From Tree Molds Parking |
| Wilderness Trail | 7.6 | Moderate. In-and-out, remote trail. Check on permit at Visitor Center. |
| Caves Trail | 1.6 | Easy. In-and-out flat to four caves: Dewdrop, Indian Tunnel, Boy Scout, and Beauty. |
More information on the wilderness area and backpacking can be found at the NPS site here.