Craters of the Moon National Monument
VISIT Craters of the Moon National Monument:
Park Details
Craters of the Moon National Monument was established on May 2, 1924.
| Address | Craters of the Moon National Monument, Arco, ID, 83213 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 208 527-1300 |
| Hours | Open 24 hours a day, Visitor center is open from 9AM–4:30PM, but may vary by season |
| Entrance Fee | $20 per vehicle, valid for 7 days |
| Learn More | Official Website |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument are May, June, September & October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 2,830 | 4,706 | 7,508 | 10,063 | 24,961 | 49,150 | 54,036 | 47,625 | 38,394 | 20,544 | 7,735 | 3,277 |
| Precipitation | 40 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 22 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 23 | 30 | 47 |
| Avg Temp | 31 | 34 | 45 | 56 | 67 | 77 | 87 | 85 | 75 | 60 | 43 | 32 |
| Max Temp | 39 | 43 | 59 | 71 | 82 | 90 | 95 | 93 | 86 | 75 | 57 | 43 |
| Avg Temp | 21 | 23 | 30 | 35 | 42 | 47 | 55 | 54 | 46 | 37 | 29 | 22 |
| Min Temp | 2 | 4 | 17 | 25 | 30 | 33 | 44 | 42 | 33 | 26 | 14 | 5 |
Craters of the Moon National Monument Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Craters of the Moon National Monument is visited.
| Trip Name | Trip Miles | Trip Days |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton & Craters of the Moon | 1,188 | 11 |
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
| Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Minidoka National Historic Site | 64 mi |
| Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument | 84 mi |
| City of Rocks National Reserve | 96 mi |
| Golden Spike National Historic Site | 137 mi |
| Grand Teton National Park | 145 mi |
| John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway | 150 mi |
| Big Hole National Battlefield | 150 mi |
| Yellowstone National Park | 171 mi |
| Fossil Butte National Monument | 179 mi |
| Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site | 207 mi |
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Craters of the Moon National Monument, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
| Name | Details | Miles Away |
|---|---|---|
| Lava Flow - Craters of the Moon National Mon | Arco, ID more | 0 miles |
| McClendon Spring | ID more | 12 miles |
| Fish Creek Reservoir | Shoshone, ID more | 13 miles |
| Iron Bog | Mackay, ID more | 16 miles |
| Copper Creek | Carey, ID more | 21 miles |
| Little Wood River - USBR | Carey, ID more | 23 miles |
| Star Hope | Mackay, ID more | 27 miles |
| Mackay Tourist Park | Mackay, ID more | 31 miles |
| Mackay Reservoir Access Area - IFG | Mackay, ID more | 35 miles |
| Joe T. Fallini - Mackay Reservoir | Mackay, ID more | 35 miles |
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Craters of the Moon National Monument:
| Name | Location | Summit | Difficulty Score™ | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Valley | Ketchum, ID | 9,150 ft | 61% | 43 mi |
| Kelly Canyon Resort | Monteview, ID | 6,600 ft | 38% | 64 mi |
| Bald Mountain | Ketchum, ID | 4,400 ft | 41% | 74 mi |
| Pomerelle Mountain | Albion, ID | 9,000 ft | 38% | 79 mi |
| Pebble Creek | Bancroft, ID | 8,560 ft | 63% | 92 mi |
| Magic Mountain | Kimberly, ID | 7,240 ft | 45% | 97 mi |
Nearest Airports
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Craters of the Moon National Monument, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City International Airport | SLC | Salt Lake City, UT | 202 mi |
| Reno–Tahoe International Airport | RNO | Reno, NV | 422 mi |
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friedman Memorial Airport | SUN | Hailey, ID | 37 mi |
| Pocatello Regional Airport | PIH | Pocatello, ID | 62 mi |
| Idaho Falls Regional Airport | IDA | Idaho Falls, ID | 75 mi |
| Joslin Field Magic Valley Regional Airport | TWF | Twin Falls, ID | 82 mi |
| Boise Airport | BOI | Boise, ID | 133 mi |
| Jackson Hole Airport | JAC | Jackson, WY | 142 mi |
| Ogden Hinckley Airport | OGD | Ogden, UT | 175 mi |
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.