Idaho probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when thinking about volcanoes. And yet, 2,000 years ago an eruption rocked an area that would eventually become the south-central part of the state.  Craters of the Moon is a large national monument with an eerie, mystical landscape of lava flows, cinder cones, caves and sagebrush. And even though it covers a huge expanse—750,000 acres—it’s easy to visit. Most of the attractions are fairly short hikes off the seven-mile Loop Road. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Craters of the Moon a national monument, protecting what he called “a weird and scenic landscape, peculiar to itself.” It’s surely unlike anything you’ll experience in other parts of Idaho—and really, anywhere in the continental U.S.

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Best Time to Visit

Spring and fall are generally comfortable. Summers can be very hot and even though the monument is open in the winter, snow usually closes the Loop Road from December through mid-April.

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Major Towns

Not far from several interstates and about a 1½-hour drive from Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and the resort town of Sun Valley, the monument is an easy side trip.