Craters of the Moon National Monument: a ranger’s ten tips before you go

Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve is a "weird and scenic" expanse of lava on the sagebrush plains of southern Idaho, a few hours' drive from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Visitors can hike, look into a volcano, explore a cave or watch the night sky. This is a park ranger's list of ten things to know before going, from a National Park Service article.

The park road winds through a landscape of lava and cones. Photo: NPS/Jacob W Frank.

Before you arrive

• Download the official National Park Service app. It has maps, information and ideas, covers over 400 National Park Service sites, and is free for iOS and Android. Cell service inside the park is very limited, so save Craters of the Moon for offline use before you arrive.
• Start at the visitor center. Staff, maps, exhibits, a bookstore, restrooms, vending machines and water are there, and you can stamp your national parks passport. The Robert Limbert Visitor Center is open daily in summer; check the park app or website for current hours.
• Plan a sleepover. The Lava Flow Campground has 42 tent and RV sites tucked in among piles of crumbly volcanic rock, available first-come, first-served. Water and flush toilets are available in summer; there are no RV hookups. A group campsite at the park's north end is reservable only through Recreation.gov.

Tents in the Lava Flow Campground. Image from the NPS page.

• Bring your own lunch. Apart from the visitor center's vending machines, the park has no food. Picnic areas are next to the visitor center and at several places along the Loop Road, and water is available only at the visitor center and campground, so bring refillable bottles. The nearest restaurants and groceries are in Arco, about 19 miles east of the park entrance.

In the park

• Stay after dark. The park is named for a feature of the night sky, and it is certified as an International Dark Sky Park, so light pollution is minimal and the Milky Way is easy to see.

Starry night skies over the Spatter Cones. Image from the NPS page.

• Drive the Loop Road. The most popular features are along its 7 miles, with numbered stops on the brochure map: the Inferno Cone overlook, a short walk to look into the Spatter Cones, and the Devils Orchard Nature Trail. Trailheads offer longer hikes.
• Hike. Options include the Broken Top Loop and the steep climb up Inferno Cone. Come ready for rugged lava terrain with sturdy closed-toe shoes, layers against wind and sun, plenty of water and salty snacks. Backcountry permits for overnight trips into the wilderness are available at the visitor center.
• Get a cave permit. The caves were formed by underground rivers of lava, and four are easily reached from the Loop Road. To protect sensitive bat populations a free permit is required, available at the visitor center. Bring sturdy shoes, extra headlamps or flashlights and head protection. To prevent the spread of White-nose Syndrome in bats, gear and clothing that have been in other caves are not allowed in the caves here.

Looking after the place

• Protect the park. Leave what you find (collecting rocks is not permitted), pack out all trash including fruit peels and other organic waste, never feed or disturb wildlife, and check where pets may go.
• Know before you go. Check the park website for closures and hours, which vary by season, and look at the weather forecast. The park in November is a very different experience from June.

Screenshots of the official NPS app. Image from the NPS page.

Sources

• National Park Service, "Exploring Craters of the Moon: A Ranger's Top 10 Tips" (https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/planlikearanger_crmo.htm); rewritten in hubnx's own words. Two photographs of visitors are not reproduced here.