Central Idaho: Craters of the Moon National Monument

A geological wonderland, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is the closest most of us will get to feeling like we are on another planet. Located in central Idaho, the site consists of three massive lava fields on over 750,000 acres of unusual terrain that is dotted with cinder cones, spatter cones, lava tubes, and lava-incinerated tree molds. Beginning at the visitor center, the seven-mile loop road provides access to the trailheads that lead to the unique areas within the park. There’s a surprise around every corner, and it’s hard to imagine what the area looked like thousands of years before the major eruptions, so large they can be seen from space.

Things to Do

• The Robert Limbert Visitor Center is a great place to start your day. In addition to obtaining a useful map of the park, learn about the area’s past volcanic activity from museum-quality exhibits at the center.
• The hiking trails have colorful names, like Devils Orchard Nature Trail and Broken Top Loop. For a longer backcountry hike, the Wilderness Trail (8 miles round trip) will not disappoint as it passes cinder cones and lava trees before heading into the desolate lava fields towards Big Cinder Butte and Echo Crater.
• Explore one of the park’s lava tubes, a wild and natural subterranean experience that is allowed with a permit from the ranger station. The lava tubes are located off the loop road on Cave Trail and include Beauty Cave, Boy Scout Cave, Dewdrop Cave, and Indian Tunnel. Each of the caves is unique and requires some sure-footedness and agility to traverse. One of the largest is Indian Tunnel Lava Tube, extending 800 feet from the entrance and providing an amazing photo opportunity where a small ceiling collapse allows natural light to enter a section of the cave.
• Spend the night at the campground surrounded by a lava flow. The 42 sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis; no reservations are accepted.
• During the winter months, activities in the park shift from sightseeing to winter sports. Bring your cross-country skis and snowshoes to circuit loop road. Due to frequent snowstorms, vehicular traffic is restricted from November to April.

Travel Tip: The most impressive photos are taken during the early morning and late afternoon when the sun is closer to the horizon. Start early or bring a picnic to watch the sunset and get some amazing photographs of this must-see national monument.