Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve
Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve
Arco, ID 83213
Phone:208-527-3257
Fax:208-527-3073
Web: www.nps.gov/crmo/
Size: 410,000 acres (park) and 304,727 acres (preserve).
Established: Proclaimed on May 2, 1924. Wilderness designated on October 23, 1970.
Location:In south-central Idaho, 18 miles west of Arco and 24 miles east of Carey on Hwy. 20/26/93; 84 miles from Idaho Falls and 90 miles from Twin Falls.
Facilities:Campground, picnic area, rest rooms (é), visitor center (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail. Entrance fee required.
Activities:Camping, hiking, auto touring, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, interpretive programs.
Special Features:The Craters of the Moon Lava Field covers 618 square miles and is the largest young basaltic lava field in the coterminous United States. The monument preserves 83 square miles of it, and features more than 20 volcanic cones including outstanding examples of spatter cones. The more than 60 different lava flows on the surface range in age from 15,000 to just 2,000 years old. Surprisingly, this seemingly desolate landscape is home to more than 350 species of plants, 160 species of birds, and 43 mammals.
See other parks in Idaho.