Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve

Found in the Snake River Plain in Idaho, the Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve is a beautiful volcanic landscape that appears alien. Geologic formations found on the lava fields of the preserve include cinder cones, spatter cones, and lava tube caves, all formed from volcanic activity in the Great Rift Volcanic rift zone. The volcanic activity within the preserve occurred as long as 15,000 years ago and as recent as 2,000 years ago.

The solitude of this fragile environment haunts and mystifies park visitors. Enjoy the scenery of the volcanic terrain on foot in the backcountry or on the scenic Loop Drive.

Take a hike to the top of Inferno Cove where, on clear days, panoramic views stretch as far as the Teton Range to the east.

The Monument was established on May 2, 1924. In November 2000, a presidential proclamation by President Clinton greatly expanded the Monument area. The National Park Service portions of the expanded Monument were designated as Craters of the Moon National Preserve in August 2002.

All three lava fields lie along the Great Rift of Idaho, with some of the best examples of open rift cracks in the world, including the deepest known on Earth at 800 feet (240 m). There are excellent examples of almost every variety of basaltic lava as well as tree molds (cavities left by lava-incinerated trees), lava tubes (a type of cave), and many other volcanic features.

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