Current Conditions - Craters of the Moon

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.

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. Campers must walk, ski, or snowshoe in to access campground. A free permit from the visitor center is required to snow camp.
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