The awesome effects of volcanism are evident throughout Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. 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 at the Craters of the Moon and the Wapi lava fields are among the most recent volcanic activity to take place anywhere in this immense geographic area.

Today, you can explore an isolated landscape filled with such features as cinder cones, spatter cones, lava tubes, and several types of lava flows. Craters of the Moon also provides unique opportunities for visitors to encounter plants and animals in various lava habitats, enjoy hiking on a number of trails, or simply partake in the solitude and beauty of this incredible place.

Upper Columbia Basin Inventory and Monitoring Program
Contains information about the current status of natural resources at Craters of the Moon

Research Permit

A permit is required for scientific research in the park. Permits can be obtained through the NPS Research Permit and Reporting website.