Craters of the Moon NPS

Craters of the Moon NPS Welcome to the official page for Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/digital/social-media.htm
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Both the National Monument and Preserve are units of the National Park System. The National Park Service preserves and protects and provides for the enjoyment of the 423 special places that make up the National Park System.

Warm weather gave crews at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve a head start on restoration work this seas...
04/07/2026

Warm weather gave crews at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve a head start on restoration work this season.

Staff with the National Park Service planted 1,300 native perennial plants in an area burned during the 2016 Moon Fire. Species like big sagebrush, bitterbush, and bottlebrush squirreltail help rebuild habitat and provide food for birds and other wildlife.

Each plant was carefully selected for the best chance of success. Crews used "plugs," or young plants with established roots, grown by a local nursery from seeds collected near the burn area so they're well adapted to the site.

This kind of planting plays an important role in recovery. Without it, burned areas can quickly be overtaken by invasive species like cheatgrass, making it harder for native plant communities to return.

02/23/2026

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument invites members of the public to learn more about the history of horses and Chinese communities in Idaho by participating in special programs that the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument will host and by visiting the park in 2026, which is the “Year of the Fire Horse” in the zodiac calendar used in many Asian cultures!

The Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, located between Boise and Twin Falls, preserves hundreds of species of three- to four-million-year-old plant and animal fossils, including the world’s largest assemblage of “Hagerman Horse” (Equus simplicidens) fossils. While the Hagerman Horse is native to North America, the genus Equus spread to Asia, and fossils similar to the Hagerman Horse have been found in China. Historic remnants of Chinese communities centered around gold mining and railroad industry work in the 1800s are still present in the area near the park.

The Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument will host one special in-person or virtual Year of the Fire Horse program each month, from February through September. A program schedule and additional details are available on the park website and in the attached flyer. Members of the public are also encouraged to visit the park, which is still an active site where paleontologists continue to conduct research and discover new fossils. Visitor information is available on the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument website at https://www.nps.gov/hafo/index.htm

10/01/2025

Operations in the Absence of Appropriations

Thanks to the Legacy Restoration Fund, Craters of the Moon’s Mission 66 Utility Building is getting an out-of-this-world...
09/29/2025

Thanks to the Legacy Restoration Fund, Craters of the Moon’s Mission 66 Utility Building is getting an out-of-this-world facelift!

Last week, Superintendent Wade Vagias joined park partners and the local community to mark the start of four major infrastructure projects across the Southern Idaho parks, including at our very own Craters of the Moon.

The park’s Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022, includes the Robert W. Limbert Visitor Center, Lava Flow Campground, Loop Road, park housing, utility building, and two older log buildings built in the 1930s.

The $5 million adaptive restoration project will focus on the Mission 66 Utility Building, restoring a key feature of the Historic District while improving park operations. This unique architecture can be traced back to 1955, when Congress allotted $700,000,000 for the Mission 66 program. The Historic District buildings are an early example of Mission 66 development and are the only representations of park service modern architecture in Idaho.

This project is made possible by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund, enacted in 2020 as part of a concerted effort to address extensive maintenance and repair needs in national parks. Supported by revenue from energy development, it provides the National Park Service with up to $1.3 billion annually for five years to make significant enhancements to ensure the preservation of national parks and provide current and future visitors with opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment.

Thank you to our amazing NPS staff, as well as our generous partners National Park Foundation and Friends of Minidoka, for making the groundbreaking ceremony possible.

NPS Photos

Celebrate the beauty of public lands and sharpen your photography skills in one of Idaho’s most iconic landscapes by par...
09/19/2025

Celebrate the beauty of public lands and sharpen your photography skills in one of Idaho’s most iconic landscapes by participating in a special Nature Photography Workshop to commemorate National Public Lands Day.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, located at 1266 Craters Loop Road, approximately 18 miles southwest of Arco, Idaho. It will be led by Doug Owen, who worked as a park ranger, park geologist, and education specialist for 19 years at Craters of the Moon and is also a professional photographer.

Workshop participants will gain ideas, methods, practices, and tips to take their nature and wildlife photography to a higher level, guided by Owen’s decades of experience in both land stewardship and nature photography. The workshop will start in a classroom setting in the Visitor Center, followed by shooting out in the park.

“National Public Lands Day, which is held annually on the fourth Saturday of September, provides a great opportunity for people to connect with the natural spaces that belong to them,” said Catherine Orland, interpretive park ranger at Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve.

Space in the photography workshop is limited to 30 individuals. There is no fee to attend. Members of the public interested in participating should call the park Visitor Center at (208) 527-1300 to reserve a spot.

NPS Photo / D. Owen

Spend your summer on another planet — well, almost. Craters of the Moon is hiring interns! Join the Ranger team and help...
05/14/2025

Spend your summer on another planet — well, almost.
Craters of the Moon is hiring interns! Join the Ranger team and help provide educational and interpretation assistance at the park.

For more information and to apply visit:
https://nwyouthcorps.workbrightats.com/jobs/1215873

NPS Photo / J. Frank

Reflecting on this piece of history with our sister park, Minidoka National Historic Site. Because remembering matters.
04/29/2025

Reflecting on this piece of history with our sister park, Minidoka National Historic Site. Because remembering matters.

Thaw-t you’d never leave, winter! The snow's melting, the sun's shining, and part of the Loop Road is springing back int...
04/11/2025

Thaw-t you’d never leave, winter! The snow's melting, the sun's shining, and part of the Loop Road is springing back into action!

Visitors traveling in motor vehicles can now drive on the Loop Road from the Visitor Center to the North Crater Flow Trail and the east loop of the Lava Flow Campground is accessible to motor vehicles for camping. Visitors are welcome to walk or ride bikes on the rest of the seven-mile Loop Road and to other loops of the Lava Flow Campground, although segments of the road and campground will be temporarily closed when heavy equipment is being used to remove snow and ice to ensure public and NPS staff safety.

The NPS closes the Loop Road and Lava Flow Campground to motor vehicles each year, generally from the late fall to late spring, when snow and ice accumulations create hazardous conditions. The Loop Road remains open during the winter motor vehicle closure to visitors for walking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. During the winter motor vehicle closure, tent camping remains available, with backcountry permits required. Visitors may walk, bike, snowshoe or cross-country ski their camping gear into the Lava Flow Campground or the parking lots at the Devils Orchard or Caves areas.

Visitors are encouraged to check the Craters of the Moon website at https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm for the status of the Loop Road, Lava Flow Campground, and other areas as conditions will change over the next few weeks during the transition from spring to summer. Visitors are also welcome to call the Craters of the Moon Visitor Center for current information at (208) 527-1335.

NPS Photo/A. Crowder

Due to inclement weather, the Visitor Center will be opening by 11am on Friday February 14, 2025. The park remains open ...
02/14/2025

Due to inclement weather, the Visitor Center will be opening by 11am on Friday February 14, 2025. The park remains open for skiing and snowshoeing on the Park road. Please practice safe driving and recreation habits during adverse winter weather.

White frosty jagged two halves of a chasm with a deep black center below. Photo by K. Stallings

02/13/2025

Due to inclement weather, the Visitor Center will be closing at 2:00 pm MT on February 13, 2025. The park remains open for skiing and snowshoeing on the Park road. Please practice safe driving and recreation habits during adverse winter weather.

Address

1266 Craters Loop Road
Arco, ID
83213

Telephone

+12085271300

Website

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