See lava tubes, tree molds, almost every variety of basaltic lava, and the deepest known rift crack in the world at Craters of the Moon National Monument. Go to the visitor center to learn how astronauts trained at the park, watch the short film on the monument's geology, and read the various displays. In certain seasons, ranger-led walks are available on which you can learn about the local wildlife, plants, and geology. You can, however, take a self-guided tour anytime of year, and the trails are easily accessible from the loop drive. Take in the views from the road at the various stopping points and leave your car briefly to hike to the caves and rift cracks in the lava. Using our custom trip planner, Arco attractions like Craters of the Moon National Monument can form part of a personalized travel itinerary.
Craters of the Moon National Monument reviews
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We loved our stop at Craters of the Moon. You can see the whole place in a full day. We hiked just about all the trails and visited the coves that were open. The cave was a highlight for us but we...
We loved our stop at Craters of the Moon. You can see the whole place in a full day. We hiked just about all the trails and visited the coves that were open. The cave was a highlight for us but we... more »
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They named the highway going toward the monument Peaks to Craters and holy cow was that true. All of a sudden there is a pile of lava rocks on the sides of the road like a snowplow put them there...
They named the highway going toward the monument Peaks to Craters and holy cow was that true. All of a sudden there is a pile of lava rocks on the sides of the road like a snowplow put them there... more »
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Scattered Lava Landscape is the greatest feature of this national monument… Even few Astronauts compared this vast volcanic island with moon while describing moons surface. The cones are really wonderful to visit. The best part of this monument is definitely the Caves, breathtaking adventure awaits for anyone who visits these caves…
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The park was nice, but expensive to get in. I would recommend stopping along the side of the road somewhere along the way to the park to check out the landscape instead of going into the park if you don’t plan on camping there. The places outside the park have the same features, just no walking paths. Personally, I think it is a better experience seeing the raw landscape without other people around. Don’t bring your dog if they don’t have booties on! The basalt is sharp!
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