Craters of the Moon


Useful Information

photography
Collapsed pahoehoe lava crust, Craters of the Moon, ID, U.S.A. Public Domain.
photography
Indian Tunnel Skylight from the Surface, Craters of the Moon, ID, U.S.A. Public Domain.
photography
Indian Tunnel Entrance, Craters of the Moon, ID, U.S.A. Public Domain.
Location: Craters of the Moon Visitor Center, 1266 Craters Loop Road, Arco, ID 83213.
29 km southwest of Arco, 39 km northeast of Carey. 135 km from Idaho Falls, and 145 km from Twin Falls Highway 20/26/93.
(43.4619105, -113.5620307)
Open: Visitor Center:
26-JAN to 24-MAY Mon, Thu-Sun 9-16:30.
25-MAY to 12-JUN daily 9-16:30.
13-JUN to 19-AUG daily 8:30-18.
20-AUG to 26-NOV daily 9-16:30.
Caves: Late MAY to OCT daily.
[2024]
Fee: Car USD 20, Motorcycle USD 15, Adults USD 10, Children (0-15) free.
[2024]
Classification: Speleologylava tube SpeleologyIce cave
Light: none, bring torch
Dimension: Indian Tunnel: L=244 m, W=15 m, H=9 m.
Beauty Cave: L=100 m.
Guided tours: self guided and guided walks.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography: Robert W. Limbert (1924): Among the "Craters of the Moon", National Geographic Magazine, Volume 45, March 1924, pp 303-328. pdf
Address: National Park Service, Park Headquarters, P.O. Box 29, Arco, ID 83213, Tel: +1-208-527-1335, Fax: +1-208-527-3073. E-mail: contact
Bureau of Land Management, Shoshone Field Office, P.O. Box 2-B, Shoshone, ID 83352, Tel: +1-208-732-7200, Fax: +1-208-732-7317.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1805 Lewis and Clark cross northern Idaho on their way to the Pacific Ocean.
1833 Army Captain Benjamin Bonneville explores the area with instructions to report back his findings to the War Department.
1862 Tim Goodale leads 1,095 emigrants and 338 wagons along a cutoff of the Oregon Trail.
1901 area explored by Israel C. Russell from the US Geological Survey, he names the area Cinder Buttes.
1918 Robert W. Limbert begins to explore the area.
1920 Robert W. Limbert promotes the region for status as a national park.
1923 geologist Harold Stearns recommends it be preserved as a national monument.
02-MAY-1924 Craters of the Moon National Monument founded, congress appropriates money for park infrastructure, such as roads and buildings.
1925 first Visitor Center constructed near Registration Waterhole.
1930s funding increased during the New Deal.
1955 Congress allots $700,000,000 for the Mission 66 program.
1959 Craters of the Moon Natural History Association founded to assist the monument in educational activities.
22-AUG-1969 Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, Joe Engle, and Eugene Cernan learn the basics of volcanic geology at the park.
2022 Craters of the Moon Mission 66 National Historic District added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Description

photography
Indian Tunnel with Visitor, Craters of the Moon, ID, U.S.A. Public Domain.
photography
Inside a Lava Tube, Craters of the Moon, ID, U.S.A. Public Domain.
photography
Collapse in Indian Tunnel, Craters of the Moon, ID, U.S.A. Public Domain.
photography
Indian Tunnel Entrance, Craters of the Moon, ID, U.S.A. Public Domain.
photography
Looking into Indian Tunnel, Craters of the Moon, ID, U.S.A. Public Domain.
photography
Lava stalactites, Craters of the Moon, ID, U.S.A. Public Domain.

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is characterized as a landscape of weird beauty. Three young and well-preserved lava fields are covering about 2,000 km². The landscape is obviously resembling the surface of the moon, or at least what we think the moon looks like. Robert Limbert, who explored and promoted the area at the beginning of the 20th century, used the name Craters of the Moon first, in an article for the National Geographic Magazine. It was so concise, it was soon used by everyone. The area wa long considered parched and inhospitable, an obstacle to get past as quickly as possible. Robert W. Limbert, one of Idaho’s most tireless and flamboyant promoters, began to explore the area in 1918. He named many features, the colorful names are still in use. There is some logic in the fact that the Craters of the Moon provided essential field training for the Apollo 14 astronauts. It served as a research site and an astronaut training site for more than 50 years.

A scenic drive of 11 km offers views of the lava fields and cinder cones on Snake River Plain. Volcanic activity occurred here for many millions of years, but the area of the park was formed by eruptions which started 15,000 years ago and ended 2,100 years ago. But it is called a dormant volcanic area, and will most likely become active within the next 1,000 years.

Visiting the caves requires getting a free cave permit from the Visitor Center, in-person during business hours. They were introduced to protect bats from the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS), and allow the staff to explain the rules to the visitors. The fungus was confirmed to be present in Idaho in 2022, but has so far not been detected at Craters of the Moon. Clothing or other items which have been worn or used in another cave cannot be brought into the caves. Washing them is not sufficient to destroy the deadly fungus. Another consequence was the closure of all caves except Indian Tunnel and Dewdrop Cave. Buffalo Caves, Beauty Cave, and Boy Scout Cave are currently closed. We still have their description on this page, in the hope that they may be reopened. And be aware that the caves are closed during the winter. They are filled with snow and ice, and are opened when it has melted, typically late May through October, weather dependent.

The park is visited, like most parks of the U.S.A., by driving along the scenic loop road. There is a fee, the pass is valid for seven consecutive days. It is sold at the automated fee machine and the entrance booth, a credit card is required. If you prefer to pay with cash, get an entrance voucher for cash payment at the Visitor Center first. At various parking areas, trails start into the lava fields. One of those trails is called Caves Trail, the 2.6 km round-trip trail leads to several volcanic caves, lava tubes, which are not developed but may be visited. You should plan two hours if you want to explore the caves. With children, it may probably take longer.

Dew Drop Cave aka Dewdrop Cave is very small, a collapse of the roof allows access to a single chamber with a heap of debris in the center, from the collapsed roof. It is almost completely visible from the path and should not be entered because of the steep walls.

Indian Tunnel is a large lava tube. In is entered on a staircase through one of numerous roof collapses. Because of the high number of openings, most of the cave is bright enough to visit even without a lamp. Nevertheless, we recommend enough light sources for the cave visits, two per person at least, if you are a party, three if you are alone. The tunnel is of impressive size and very easy. The exit on the other end requires a little climbing across a rock pile and through a narrow opening, but it is also possible to turn around.

Boy Scout Cave contains ice all year round, the floor is covered by ice and often water too. The entrance through a collapse doline is right in the middle of the tube. The western branch contains the ice and is a little bigger. The eastern branch is often low and narrow, and requires some easy climbing and stooping until you reach the Back Door, formed by a huge roof collapse. This cave requires warm clothes (which may get dirty), sturdy and warm shoes, and enough light. A helmet is a good idea.

The cave continues after the huge collapse, but it is now called Beauty Cave. The very first part is difficult and only for cavers, but the next collapse is an entrance to the cave. However, the official entrance is at the far end and much more comfortable. It uses a bigger collapse forming a spacious entrance to the lava tube. The cave is 100 m long and has two spacious sections of about 35 m, which are connected by a tight crawl. There are several narrow off-branches, one of them leading to the deepest point of all caves. For exploring narrow parts and the crawl, we again recommend, old and warm clothes, sturdy shoes and a helmet. The entrance chamber with its smooth pahoehoe lava floor may be visited without special clothes.

One more cave, called Buffalo Cave, is reached on another trail, the Broken Top Loop Trail (3 km, 45 min). The cave entrance is located south of the Broken Top, only a few hundred meters from the southernmost parking area. It is allowed to visit the cave, but it requires climbing over loose rock and crouching under low ceilings. Again, we strongly recommend appropriate equipment.