Craters of the Moon National Monument Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
national monument in the United States
About Craters of the Moon National Monument
The park was created in 1924 by President Calvin Coolidge, who at the time described it as "a weird and scenic landscape peculiar to itself". The area was designated the Craters of the Moon Wilderness in 1970 by Congress, the first such designation within the National Park Service; it was also certified asa Dark Sky Parkby DarkSky International. Over the past 15,000 years, lava eruptions created a rugged but scenic landscape that has forced animals and plants to adapt, and people to endure, detour, or ponder. Located on the Snake River Plain, a volcanic terrain spanning southern Idaho, the Monument and Preserve encompasses the Great Rift volcanic rift zone. In places, this plain is 60 miles wide, with basalt lava deposits over 10,000 feet deep in some locations. Eruptions 2,000 years ago
Top Attractions in Craters of the Moon National Monument
Explore the best things to see and do in Craters of the Moon National Monument:
- ★Caves
- ★Devils Orchard
- ★Inferno Cone
- ★North Crater Flow
- ★Spatter cones
- ★Tree Molds
Where to Stay in Craters of the Moon National Monument
- 🏨Group Campground
- 🏨Lava Flow Campground
Craters of the Moon National Monument Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 12 sections including: