Visited: July 2025
Nearby towns: Carey, ID; Arco, ID
In a remote area of south-central Idaho, you will find the otherworldly landscape of Craters of the Moon.
Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve protects the largest lava field in the lower 48. There are over 25 volcanic cones in the park. Geologically speaking, the lava fields here are very young. They range in age from 15,000 years old to a mere 2,000 years old.
at the entrance sign
We first visited Craters of the Moon way back in 2014. Last Independence Day (July 2025), we re-visited to explore for the day. We had a great time.
Long ago, the Shoshone tribe created trails in the lava fields as they passed through, traveling from the Snake River to the Camas Prairie. These trails were later used by pioneers as an alternate to the Oregon Trail in the 1850s and 1860s (known as Goodale's Cutoff).
In 1918, Robert Limbert, a taxidermist and amateur geologist from Boise, explored and mapped the area after hearing stories from fur traders about the strange things they saw in the area. Limbert's efforts led to the establishment of Craters of the Moon as a National Monument in 1924.
We started our visit by hiking the Broken Top Loop, about 2 miles.
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we saw a deer along the trail
Broken Top (elevation: 6,058-ft)
the Buffalo Caves
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In the eastern part of the park is an area with many caves, including Indian Tunnel. It is the largest lava tube cave in the park.
entrance to Indian Tunnel
Looking up at the natural entrance from the lava tube
We then went to see the Spatter Cones. These are essentially a mini-volcano. Created during the dwindling stage of an eruption, spatter cones form when lumps of lava are thrown a short distance in the air and then fall back down around the small central vent.
spatter cones
This spatter cone is known as Snow Cone.
Took a nice, short nature trail through Devils Orchard.
Took a short trail through the North Crater Flow.
cinder crags
We stayed the night in Arco. Arco is a small town (pop. 879) with an interesting history. About 30 miles southeast of town is the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a federal installation. Established in 1949, INL pioneered research of nuclear energy. For one hour on July 17, 1955, Arco became the first community in the entire world to be lit by electricity solely generated by nuclear power.
We grabbed dinner at Pickle's Place.
Tara got the Atomic Burger. I got a Pirate Burger.
The sail of the USS Hawksbill.
Launched in 1969, USS Hawksbill was a nuclear-powered submarine. When it was decommissioned in 2000, the sail was put on display in Arco to commerorate the town's nuclear history.
nicknamed the "Devil Boat" (thanks to its rather ominous hull number) 😄
Community Center
We had a great time exploring Craters of the Moon. Well-worth a visit.
For more info on the National Monument: https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm
