Wilderness Trail
Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
| Address: | Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, Idaho, USA |
| GPS: |
43°25'39.6"N 113°32'54.9"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | Idaho |
| Trails/Routes: | 8.8 mi |
Restrooms Pet Friendly Bicycles Motorized Use
Cave and Hike
You will have a sense of solitude as you travel into the Craters of the Moon Wilderness. Begin the trail on the sidewalk that parallels the roadway and turn right to follow the direct route across a young lava flow near the entrance to Buffalo Caves. Follow the metal posts across the lava. After stepping off of the lava turn right at the trail sign. You then pass between Big Cinder and Half Cone cinder cones. Check out the "lava trees" at the short signed trail that leads to these features. Observe Crescent Butte and Coyote Butte as you travel through "trench mortar flats". Echo Crater is a great place to camp! Obtain a required backcountry permit at the visitor center and be prepared to walk through the sage brush to access the easiest entrance on the north-eastern side of the crater.Courtesy of nps.gov
More Information
Add ResourceBe courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
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- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
- Head east on Loop RdParts of this road may be closed at certain times or days(2.8 mi)
- Turn left to stay on Loop RdMay be closed at certain times or days(0.7 mi)
- Turn right (0.3 mi)
- Keep left (0.3 mi)
- Keep rightDestination will be on the right(0.7 mi)
Other Hiking Trails and Caves Nearby
Broken Top Loop Trail
Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
0.0 miles NWA hike over, under, and around a 2,000-year-old cinder cone and lava flows in Craters of the Moon, with access to Buffalo Cave — bring a flashlight and free permit.
Cave, Hike 1.9 mi
Tree Molds Trail
Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
0.0 miles WA paved trail winding through Craters of the Moon Wilderness to a lava flow that captured the shapes of fallen and standing trees in cooling rock — look for wooden posts marking the molds.
Hike 0.1 mi
Spatter Cones
Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
1.1 miles NWMiniature volcanoes formed by lobbed molten lava blobs at Craters of the Moon — a must-see feature that symbolizes this unique national monument; stay on trails to protect the delicate spatter cones.
Hike
Snow Cone
Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
1.1 miles NWThe Snow Cone is one of the more surprising little features at Craters of the Moon National Monument, a small, narrow, deep spatter cone on the volcanic Snake River Plain of central Idaho that holds...
Hike 1.8 mi
North Crater Trail
Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
1.1 miles NWA one-way trail through North Crater and Big Craters at Craters of the Moon — dropping into a volcanic crater mouth and ending at Spatter Cones, with fragile lava formations off-limits to protect.
Hike 0.4 mi
Inferno Cone
Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
1.1 miles NA steep climb up Inferno Cone at Craters of the Moon, rewarded with panoramic views of the Great Rift, Snake River Plain, and Pioneer Mountains — and on clear days, the Tetons 100 miles away.
Hike 1.0-1.3 mi
Caves Trail
Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
1.5 miles NEThe Caves Trail at Craters of the Moon National Monument leads into one of the most otherworldly landscapes in Idaho: a field of lava tubes formed by ancient volcanic eruptions on the high sagebrush...
Cave, Hike 0.5 mi
Devil's Orchard Trail
Visitors Center, Craters of the Moon National Monument
1.7 miles NA paved, wheelchair-accessible trail through cinder beds and ancient North Crater wall fragments, with exhibits on protecting this fragile volcanic environment.
Hike
North Crater Flow
Arco, Idaho
2.1 miles NThe North Crater Flow Trail is one of the best first stops at Craters of the Moon National Monument, a short, paved, accessible loop that carries visitors out across a genuine river of hardened lava...
Hike
Bear Trap Cave
American Falls, Idaho
32.2 miles SA lava tube estimated to be 15,000 years old, traceable for nearly 15 miles, originating from the Great Rift near Craters of the Moon — a window into Idaho's volcanic past.
Cave 0.6 mi
Hidden Mouth Cave
Moore, Idaho
37.4 miles NA surprisingly large lava cave with three chambers and a secret back exit — reached by quad or a quarter-mile steep hike above Moore, Idaho.
Cave, Hike
Quigley Canyon
Hailey
37.8 miles WA year-round BCRD trail area in Quigley Canyon east of Hailey. Summer brings a pump track, flow trails, jump lines and a 4-mile loop, and winter brings over 20 km of groomed Nordic trails.
Cross-country Ski, Hike, Mountain Bike
Wood River Trail
Hailey
38.6 miles WA free paved path of 20-plus miles on the old Union Pacific rail bed, linking Bellevue, Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley. It is groomed for Nordic skiing in winter.
Cross-country Ski, Cycle, Hike
Carbonate Mountain
Hailey, Idaho
39.3 miles WSteep trail up the 6,714-foot hill directly west of downtown Hailey, with a 3.7-mile hiking loop, a six-mile advanced bike loop and wide views of the Wood River Valley.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Lariat caves
American Falls, Idaho
39.6 miles SEA massive lava tube near Craters of the Moon with a fun back loop, constant temperature year-round, and history as a Boy Scout backcountry camp site.
Cave
Pioneer Cabin Trail
Sun Valley
40.4 miles NWA steep, switchbacking trail from the Corral Creek trailhead east of Sun Valley to Pioneer Cabin, a 1937 Union Pacific ski hut with close views of the Pioneer Mountains.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Croy Creek Trail System
Hailey, Idaho
41.3 miles WAbout 18.5 miles of BLM and Blaine County singletrack in the sage foothills west of Hailey, rebuilt by IMBA after the 2013 Beaver Creek Fire and open early May to mid-November.
Atv/motorcycle, Hike, Mountain Bike
Two Dog
Hailey, Idaho
42.5 miles WThe longest trail in the Croy Creek system, about 7.4 miles of non-motorized singletrack from Bullion Gulch Road over a sage saddle and down into the Croy Creek valley.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Bald Mountain Trail
Ketchum, Idaho
44.3 miles WThe main hiking and uphill-only biking route up Bald Mountain, climbing about 5.2 miles and 3,200 feet from River Run Plaza in Ketchum. Many hikers stop at the Roundhouse about 4 miles up.
Hike, Mountain Bike
White Cloud Loop
Sun Valley, Idaho
44.4 miles NWA 4.2-mile dirt loop around the White Clouds golf course in Sun Valley, maintained by Sun Valley Company and open to hikers, runners, riders and leashed dogs. It dries out early in spring and looks across at Bald Mountain and the Boulder Mountains.
Hike, Mountain BikeNearby Campsites
Lava Flow Campground
Arco, Idaho
2.4 miles NA campground surrounded by a young lava flow near the Craters of the Moon visitor center and popular trails — 42 first-come sites at $15/night during main season.
Camp
Magic Reservoir
Bellevue
44.9 miles WMagic Reservoir is a big irrigation lake on the Big Wood River surrounded by BLM sagebrush land, with free ramps and primitive camps. It is known for trout, perch and ice fishing, but water levels swing hard with irrigation demand.
Camp, Canoe, Kayak
Kimama Wind Caves
Paul, Idaho
48.5 miles SA labyrinth of lava tubes in the desert north of Paul — tight crawls, varying ceiling heights, and graffiti throughout — strictly for experienced cavers with proper lights.
Camp, Cave
