Coverage · 436 NPS places tracked 86 source-reviewed briefsPlanning · Seasonal windows modeled and labeledOperations · Official alerts verify at nps.govSource-reviewed · Place briefs with dated source cardsCatalog · Preview pages identity snapshot onlyListening · Procedural cues never field recordings
National Monument & Preserve · Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve

Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve

Best primary window for Craters Of The Moon: July, with August and September as strong shoulder months.

Craters of the Moon is a vast ocean of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush. We invite you to explore this "weird and scenic landscape" where yesterday's volcanic events are likely to continue tomorrow.

This page identifies Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve from the checked-in NPS snapshot, dated source cards, and the month windows listed here.

Answer Brief

Answer-first planning signal

Best current use
Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve is listed as a National Monument & Preserve in the checked-in NPS identity snapshot.
Best months
July, August, September
Peak crowd months
July, August, June
Current signal
Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve is listed as a National Monument & Preserve in ID in the checked-in NPS identity snapshot. 4 source cards on this page. Data snapshot: October 27, 2026. Official NPS page: https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm.
Visitor takeaway
Month windows for Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve are listed on this page. Official NPS page: https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm.
What it sounds like
Craters Of The Moon audio on this page is a labeled modeled cue, not a field recording.

Summary at a glance

Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve is listed as a National Monument & Preserve in the checked-in NPS identity snapshot. 4 source cards on this page. Data snapshot: October 27, 2026. Listed month windows: July, August, and September.

Best Months
July
↑ August, September
Budget Months
September
October, May
Peak Crowd
July
August, June
Region
rocky mountain
Core Experiences
migrationsnative-american-heritagewestward-expansionanimalsbirdsAuto and ATVScenic DrivingAstronomyStargazingBiking

Month-by-month

Month windows on this page: July, August, and September listed as the primary window; July, August, and June listed as peak months; September, October, and May listed as lower-crowd months.

Primary Window

Listed primary window: July, August, and September.

Peak months

Listed peak months: July, August, and June.

Lower-crowd months

Listed lower-crowd months: September, October, and May.

Getting there

Use the closest major airport and a regional drive plan for Craters Of The Moon.

Visitor Center and Loop Drive are located 18 miles southwest of Arco, Idaho on U.S. Highway 20/26/93, 24 miles northeast of Carey, Idaho on U.S. Highway 20/26/93, 84 miles from Idaho Falls, and 90 miles from Twin Falls. Physical address is 1266 Craters Loop Road(Lat/Long: 43° 27.711'N/113° 33.7) Access to the main visitor use area is via a paved highway. Unpaved roads provide additional access to the BLM monument and NPS Preserve but should only be utilized by four wheel drive and high clearance vehicles.

Place instrument

Clock, compare, and listen

Compare places

Season and now

Twelve-month planning is modeled from the published seasonal profile. The current hand stays unavailable until sourced alerts, hours, events, roads, and weather are fresh.

Current hand
Not available

Three listening lanes

Official NPS audio: Not provided for this snapshot.

Synthetic browser audio, never a field recording or live observation.

Jamcorder: Shared station.

Text equivalent for the seasonal place clock
MonthVisitabilityCrowd pressure
January4112
February4312
March4816
April5328
May5746
June5772
July6090
August6086
September5970
October5738
November5018
December4312

The cue is a browser-generated composition, not a field recording. How NPS Sounds modeled audio works.

Methodology

This page uses the checked-in NPS identity snapshot for Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, the 4 source cards below, and the figures listed above. Data snapshot: October 27, 2026. Read the NPS Sounds methodology and about NPS Sounds for how pages are assembled.

  • Data snapshot: October 27, 2026
  • Source cards: 4

Data Behind This Reading

Source provenance

NPS identity

high

Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve is identified as National Monument & Preserve with NPS code crmo.

Available · Data snapshot: October 27, 2026

Source

Official operations

limited

Official alerts should be verified on the NPS page. This site uses a checked-in snapshot, not a live operations feed.

From the data snapshot · Data snapshot: October 27, 2026

Source

Weather and seasonality

limited

Weather at Craters of the Moon is characterized by hot summers and cold winters. In February, average snow depth ranges from 26 inches at the north end of the monument to just 2 inches at the south end. Intense summer sun bakes the black lava, generating surface temperatures of 170°F and air temperatures in the 90s. Drying winds are a daily occurrence, especially in the afternoon, and may reach 15 to 30 miles per hour.

Modeled · Data snapshot: October 27, 2026

Source

How this page is assembled

limited

place page source cards come from the data snapshot October 27, 2026.

Data snapshot: October 27, 2026

Source