Current Conditions - Craters of the Moon

Alerts

Park Closure

• Loop Road OPEN to All Vehicles

  Alert, Severity, closure, Loop Road OPEN to All Vehicles The Loop Road is OPEN to vehicles (except the Spur Road to the Caves Area, which remains closed until ice and snow melt enough to allow safe access to Caves.)

• All Caves are Closed

  Alert, Severity, closure, All Caves are Closed Due to snow, Indian Tunnel and Dewdrop Cave are CLOSED. Caves typically open for the season in June.

Caution

• Navigation

  Alert, Severity, caution, NavigationPlease do not rely upon GPS digital navigation systems to find your way to Craters of the Moon. Please note that the Visitor Center at 1266 Craters Loop Road is located just off U.S. Highway 20/26/93 and is not accessed via any unpaved roads.more

Information

• Campground Open with Limited Services

  Alert, Severity, information, Campground Open with Limited ServicesThe Lava Flow campground is open for First-Come First-Serve spring camping. The water is shut off for the season and campers must plan accordingly. Comfort stations are closed and inaccessible. Vault toilets remain available.more

 

Visitor Center and Bookstore are Open

• The visitor center, bookstore, museum, and visitor center restrooms are open Thursday-Monday 9 AM - 4:30 PM MST. Review the visitor center hours.
• Be prepared for your visit. Drinking water is only available at the visitor center.
• Vault toilets are available 24 hours at the Lava Flow Campground, Devils Orchard, the Tree Molds Area, and Caves Area.
• Check the local weather forecast before driving to the park.
• Passport stamps are available in the bookstore during business hours. You can also email the park, and we can mail you copies of the passport stamps.
• Information on things to do can be found online and on the free National Park Service app. Cell service is very limited inside the park, so we recommend downloading the app and saving Craters of the Moon for offline use before you arrive.
• The full park film, Craters of the Moon: The Movie, is available online as well as other short videos on our multimedia page.

 

NPS Illustration / S. Lacy

Lava Flow Campground is Open First Come, First Served

The Lava Flow Campground is open first come, first served. Pit toilets are available 24 hours, but there are no hookups and water is off for the season.
RV and car camping is not permitted at the visitor center.

Lava Tube Caves are Closed, Permit Required when Open

Indian Tunnel and Dewdrop Cave, both located at the Caves Area, are closed due to snow. When they are open, a free cave permit is required to enter the caves. Cave permits protect bats. Permits can only be obtained in person at the visitor center during business hours. All other caves in the park are closed.

The America the Beautiful passes including the Annual, Senior, Access, Military, Fourth Grade passes, and others do not count as cave permits.

 

Closures

Buffalo Caves, Boy Scout Cave, and Beauty Cave are permanently closed. These caves are closed to protect bats and due to sensitive environmental conditions. Help protect bats by respecting closures.

Planning Your Trip

Conditions can change rapidly this time of year. Check these sources before traveling to the park:

• Highway Conditions - The US-93 Tom Cat Summit camera located 5 miles west of the visitor center near mile marker 226 provides live views of visibility and road conditions in the immediate area.
  • Idaho 511 provides traffic and transit information for Idaho
• Live Weather Conditions at the Visitor Center
• Weather Forecast for Craters of the Moon
• Live Smoke Map and Air Quality

 

Recreate Responsibly

When recreating, please follow local area health orders, practice Leave No Trace principles.

The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health. Idaho Rebound (COVID-19) Plan

 

Current Conditions at the Robert Limbert Visitor Center

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