Craters of the Moon Wilderness, near Arco, Idaho, is a unique camping spot right inside the national monument, offering a one-of-a-kind experience among volcanic landscapes. The sites are set among rugged lava rocks, providing a backdrop that’s as stunning as it is unusual.

This campground features clean flushing toilets and drinking water, which is a relief after a day of hiking or biking the scenic loop road. Visitors have noted that it’s best to arrive early, especially during busy weekends, as spots fill up quickly. One camper shared, “We got our spot, then drove our RV around to the different scenic spots and returned to camp 5 hours later.” 

For those looking to explore, the area is perfect for hiking and biking, with trails that showcase the park's dramatic terrain. Some campers have even enjoyed the thrill of sleeping in a volcano crater, which adds an adventurous twist to the experience. Just remember, no fires are allowed, so bring a stove for cooking.

While the sites can be a bit tight and tricky to back into due to the rocky terrain, the overall vibe is clean and quiet, making it a great escape into nature. If you’re after a camping experience that’s out of the ordinary, Craters of the Moon Wilderness is definitely worth checking out.

Details The 42 sites are available on a first come-first served basis; no reservations are accepted. Cost $15 per site during the main season and $8 per site when water is not turned on to the campground. The cost is half-price with Senior or Access passes. Pay with a credit card at any time on the automated fee machine located near the campground entrance. No fee is charged when the Loop Road is closed. Facilities water (seasonal) restrooms (only a vault toilet is currently available) charcoal grills picnic tables Sites #34, 35, 42 & 3 are fully accessible. Site #34 contains an electrical outlet for use by those with medical needs. There are no hookups, showers, or waste water dump stations. Large RVs and trailers can be accommodated in a limited number of sites.

Craters of the Moon Wilderness — Craters of the Moon National Monument

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Craters of the Moon National Monument

The Best Camping Near Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

**Stayed:** 5/12/2021

**Cost:** FREE (Permit Required)

**Site:** Just shy of Echo Crater (SEE PIC)

**Vehicle:** Volkswagen Atlas (Parked at trailhead)

**Equipment:** Tent

**AT&amp;T and T-Mobile:** No Service

We were very excited for this hike and dispersed stay. It’s just under 4 miles one way and you must get a free permit from the visitor center to enter the Wilderness area at Craters of the Moon. Unforutanley, we didn’t have an NPS Park Ranger, and we didn’t get as much info as we were hoping while getting our permit. With that, we were relying on the basic park map and previous research to find our way to Echo Crater, the main place to camp.

Take the scenic drive through the entire park until you get to the parking lot and trailheads for 'Tree Molds', 'Broken Top' and 'Wilderness'. From the 'Tree Molds' trailhead, follow the sidewalk that loops back around the parking lot, and look for the sign for the **'Wilderness Trail'** (it's a small one and a few steps into the trail - see pic).

I highly suggest using a GPS or more detailed map, to make sure you make it to the crater. We thought we were there, but after getting back to service and pulling up the satellite image, we were just shy of actual Echo Crater (see the map picture for more detail). The sights are stunning, both during the day and night, and both on the hike in and the hike out. No fires are permitted, so make sure to bring a stove. We saw some wildlife, but nothing that was bothersome, or an issue. Also, it definitely gets chilly at night.

However, the trail and hike are absolutely beautiful and very much worth the trek. We only stayed for the one night, but would love to return and actually make it to Echo Crater next time around!

  

#DareToEverywhere

Beautiful hike, take a map!

What could be more cool than sleeping in the bottom of a volcano.  That is what you can do on the Crater of the Moon National Monument's Wilderness Trail.  Sleep in the bottom of Echo Crater.  To backpack and camp in the wilderness area requires a free backcountry permit.  It is a little more than 3 miles of  backpacking to the crater,  the last bit is off trail so you will need the map provided for the area.  Access to the crater is from the east side of the crater, access the crater from any of the other sides is faster but it will be your last as it is a several hundred foot vertical drop to the bottom.  No water sources so you will need to pack at least a gallon of water per person per day.  Make sure you use the vault toilet at the trailhead before heading out, if you need to due #2 you will need to back all of it out, and that's more than just the paper.  No digging a hole and burying it here.  Plenty of flat ground to pitch your tent in the bottom of the crater.

Sleep in a volcano crater

The setting of this campground is nice. Most sites are small. Hard to back into sites due to rocks and narrow road. There are some pull thru sites. First come first served. Check out at noon so try to get there shortly after that. No cell service. Flush toilets with running water. No dump.  It is located right in the park. 

Right in park

Nice sites . Some more suitable for tents, other for vans. 

15$ per night, first come first serve. We were there Memorial weekend (Sunday) and there were still spots.

Nice clean quiet

It was a special camping experience. They just renewed all the roads in the park. Campground is right next to loop around the park with some nice spots. 
Clean flushing toilets and water.
Get there in time! We had one of the last spots at 5pm

Camp in a volcano Crater 

Great sites nestled In The lava rocks. Great hiking or biking the 7mi loop road.  We didn't have reservations but got there early (2pm)  it looked very full by 6pm.  We got our spot, then drove our rv around to the different scenic  spots and returned to camp 5 hrs later.

Great unique campground right inside the national park!

We came to Craters of the Moon early, ended up being there most of the day.  Instead of going on and trying to find dispersed camping, we treated ourselves to a site in the park.
Sites are $15, and you must have the American the Beautiful Pass or pay park entry fee. 
The sites are dry camping with toilet facilities and water (no dump station).
The sites are right in amongst lava field and is quite unique.  
Campground was very quiet at night and very dark.  Could see the sky and stars wonderfully.
Definitely a great park and place to stay.

Beautiful spot in a hidden gem

This pin looks like it’s talking about the lava flow camp ground. My husband and I followed this pins coordinates and it took us to a parking lot about 2 miles from the established camping area. It looked like maybe you could camp in parking lot? It was 2 am and we didn’t wanna risk it and were to sleepy to double check signage and went back to lava flow camp 

Beautiful area, pin drop is inaccurate 

Nice spot clean bathrooms open spots in a weekday in July, right in Craters of the Moon

Photos of Craters of the Moon Wilderness — Craters of the Moon National Monument

Real photos from real campers