Craters Of The Moon National Monument - General Park Information

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is a vast ocean of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush. We invite you to explore this "weird and scenic landscape" where yesterday's volcanic events are likely to continue tomorrow...

Craters of the Moon is a HUGE national park! It is over 1,100 square miles (over 750,000 acres) which is roughly the size of Rhode Island. The young lava flows that make up the bulk of the Monument and Preserve can clearly be seen from space.

A seven-mile loop road provides unequaled opportunities to explore Craters of the Moon; including access to trails that take you over, under, and around various volcanic features. Trail mileages are round-trip distances. Allow half an hour for the drive itself and more time for stopping at viewpoints and for hiking the trails.

Craters of the Moon is an out of this world outdoor classroom! Plan a field trip or link to curriculum materials that can be used at school. Bring your students to Craters for a winter ecology lesson including a 1 mile ranger led snowshoe trek near the Visitor Center. We have enough snowshoes for about 30 students and the walks are suitable for fourth graders and up. Call the park at (208) 527-3257 for more information or to schedule a class visit.

High Desert Climate with average high temperatures during the summer around 80 degrees fahrenheit and average low temperatures in the winter in the teens. Elevation at the visitor center is 5,900 feet.