Idaho · Hiking

Big Craters

Big CratersPhoto: NPS / public domain
May–Oct
best months

Is Big Craters open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Craters of the Moon National Monument. It doesn't name Big Craters, so check the source for the area it covers.

  • Park Bookstore Update

    Park closure covering Craters of the Moon National Monument · NPS · Craters of the Moon National Monument

  • Navigation

    Park alert covering Craters of the Moon National Monument · NPS · Craters of the Moon National Monument

As of · Source: NPS · Craters of the Moon National Monument. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

The source of one of the most recent eruptions at Craters of the Moon, Big Craters allows visitors to venture up to the edge of one of the park's larger craters. Big Craters is located at the southern end of North Crater Trail near the Spatter Cones area. A short, steep hike is required to view the crater with an elevation gain of 100 feet (30 m). From the Snow Cone Trail, follow North Crater Trail for 800 feet (243 m) to the rim of the crater, approximately 200 feet beyond the end of the paved trail. Continuing along the trail, two smaller craters can be seen past the first crater before the trail turns west and goes downhill. Be prepared if you plan to hike this strenuous trail. For your safety and to protect fragile lava formations, off-trail travel is not permitted in the Big Craters or Spatter Cones areas.

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Big Craters

    Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      27° / 13°

      11 wet

    2. Feb

      30° / 15°

      9 wet

    3. Mar

      40° / 23°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      51° / 31°

      10 wet

    5. May

      62° / 40°

      11 wet

    6. Jun

      72° / 46°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      83° / 56°

      3 wet

    8. Aug

      82° / 54°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      71° / 45°

      5 wet

    10. Oct

      56° / 34°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 22°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      27° / 13°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Arco 17 Sw, ID, 1.4 mi away at 5,920 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Inferno ConePhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Inferno Cone

Next door

The steep 0.4 mi (0.8 km) trail to the top of Inferno Cone is challenging, but it rewards hikers with 360-degree views of the Great Rift, the Snake River Plain, and the Pioneer Mountains. On clear days, you may even see the Teton Range, 100 miles to the east. Make the strenuo…

North Crater TrailPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Crater Trail

~2 min drive

3.18-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 1,206 ft gain and 6,143 ft max elevation.

Tree Molds TrailPhoto: quinn.anya, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tree Molds Trail

~2 min drive

2.5-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 454 ft gain/loss and a max elevation of 5,901 ft.

HIKE

Hurst Canyon

~26 min drive

16.27-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,667 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

LAKE CREEK

~48 min drive

16.98-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,069 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

North Crater Flow Trail

~2 min drive

An excellent introduction to the Craters of the Moon landscape, an easy, paved 0.3 mi (0.5 km) loop winds through a pahoehoe lava flow that spilled from the North Crater vent about 2,100 years ago. For your safety and in order to protect this sensitive area, off-trail travel i…

Wilderness TrailPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Wilderness Trail

~3 min drive

8.76-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 623 ft elevation gain

Broken Top Loop TrailPhoto: TexasExplorer98, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Broken Top Loop Trail

~2 min drive

1.47-mile loop in Idaho with 240 ft elevation gain and 249 ft loss.

HIKE

Fish Creek Summit

~27 min drive

12.04-mile out-and-back trail to Fish Creek Summit in Idaho with 1,709 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Devils Orchard Nature Trail

~2 min drive

This paved 0.5 mi (0.8 km) trail explores an area of cinder beds scattered with pieces of North Crater. Exhibits along the trail challenge you to consider the difficulties of protecting this fragile environment. This trail is wheelchair accessible. Corresponds to #4 on the pa…