This campground was an great place to stay while in Lava Hotsprings. It's a two minute drive to the Hotsprings, which are amazing. The campground is clean and very well maintained. Cleanest shower houses and bathrooms we have seen at a campground in a long time! The camp hosts are friendly and the park is very pet friendly! I would highly recommend this spot if you are stopping in Lava Hotsprings for any amount of time!
The campsites are in a volcanic desert setting and no.place to be in hot weather but if it's cool they are some of the nicest in the NP system, mostly paved pull throughs with water close by. Lots of hiking opportunities in the park for the athleticly fit and a nine mile auto touring trail for the less so. At $15 per site per day, half that for Golden Age passes, a real bargain.
An unusual venue to be camped in the middle of a lava flow. But in its own particular way beautiful, especially in the early mornings and dusk.
This is the coolest campground. Nestled in the lava flow in the National Park. We have a 30ft TT and arrived at the park around 1pm and had no issues finding a spot. Nice private pull through with grill and picnic table. Not much shade (as expected) and can get windy so watch your awnings. Most people seemed to arrive in the evening. Beautiful location as others have said but it is dry camping and FCFS.
How often do you get to say that you camped in the middle of a lava field and lava boulders? This first come campground gives you just that. Nice paved sites with picnic tables and grills. Nice paved, wheelchair accessible walkways to the visitors center. Flush toilets (a little old, but super clean) and pit toilets. Community water source. Awesome staff. Cost was very reasonable at $9 with an America the Beautiful pass. The park loop runs right by the campground so everything to see is conveniently located. We had hoped to do some astro photography but a rare thunderstorm blew in making for a spectacular sunset and light show. Yes. I would definitely check this one out.
The Lava Campground is very clean and is set in a little valley with beautiful mountains up close. The fire pits are great. The bathrooms and showers are super clean. They have the cutest retro campers you can stay in too! It’s within walking distance of the town. Great place to stay!
One of best places I’ve been to. I’d definitely recommend several days if you can as some of the trails are pretty challenging though definitely see the spatter cones and the one before it (can’t remember the name but big black hill you can climb even if not in great shape by taking a break every 50 feet or so. Most unique and gorgeous campground with helpful staff. Most spots have at least a couple sides completely blocked off from other spaces. No designations so you can take as big or little of a spot as you want with everything from pull-through s to tent sites with just parking for a car. Recommend to arrive between noon and 3pm for most options to pick your spot. Planning to go back for maybe even a month later on though have to switch spaces after 14 days. Off-season has no running water but vault toilets are clean. If you have handicap/senior access pass, only $4/night off season. If not, you have to also pay park access fee daily. Payment is one-day only so have to go get new receipt from machine every day but close enough for easy walk to entrance.
Large rigs park close to the Credit Card Kiosk (only Credit cards accepted) park entry fee is also required some spots are only tent and some are huge. Water was not on and only had vault toilets so fees were less.
Easy in and out with plenty of room to maneuver with trailers. However the distance to hookups is a bit of a stretch. Bring extra water hose and extension cords for some of the sites. I couldn’t make the water hose reach and still be far enough back to be comfortably parked in our site. Fortunately we had water on board or could have filled up the tank if needed before parking. Road noise is also a factor here. I’d recommend it as a stop and would come back. Playground is also nice for the kids.
First of all, Lava Campground is a wonderful campground. It is clean and well kept. The owners have worked hard over the past three years to develop a campground that is beautiful, warm, and inviting. With that being said, if you are a potential Campground Host, do not unpack your bags. You will not have the loyalty and trust from the owners that you would hope for. There are always two sides to every story, and this is ours. We had been Campground Hosts for not even a week when we had an interchange with a guest who was walking his rather large Pit Bull off-leash. As he came by our site, I politely told him“just so you know, dogs need to be on-leash in the campground.” He rather curtly said“He is on leash” and pointed to his mouth. I started to say something, and he cut me off with a rather nasty“What are you? The campground gendarme?” I let the owners know of the situation and apologized for not having said just the right thing and obviously putting him on the defensive. They explained that sometimes there are guests that might not be very agreeable. Two days later one of the owners came by and told us“they had to think of their business first” and summarily fired us. Apparently, the disgruntled guest called to complain and said he would not return if we were still at the campground. He threatened to write a bad review and cancel his reservations for the summer. Understandably, the owners were concerned about the reputation of their beloved campground but, all of a sudden, we were the“bad guys” with no credibility. The owners chose to believe the guest(we still do not know what he said to them) rather than trust us and give us the benefit of the doubt. We were hurt, humiliated, and devastated. We were looking forward to spending the summer and were acclimating to our duties and responsibilities. To be fair to them, there may have been a few other issues that needed to be worked out as we worked to be more fully aware of our responsibilities to the campground and the guests. Of course, in hindsight, we probably could have been more gracious in explaining to the guest the reason for the leash policy. But he did not give us the chance. And neither did the owners. We regret what happened but feel blind-sided and, once again, humiliated.
Prepare to have your mind blown as you roll in to Lava Flow Campground. It is nestled in the uniquely lunar landscape caused by, well, lava flow. The grounds sit at the entrance of the scenic 7-mile loop that provides access to trails that take you over, under, and around various volcanic features.
We went during COVID times, so there was no access to the caves. Still, it was a memorable experience driving the loop and hiking around. In late October, the water was shut off due to frozen pipes, restrooms were closed except for the vault toilets. We found the vaults to be remarkably clean and unstinky.
The sites varied drastically in quality and size- probably because they were built around existing landscape that begged to be preserved. Because it was a weekday and off-season, we had the grounds to ourselves and took our time selecting the best site, and made sure to mark our favorites for the next trip. Site 27 was our favorite for sweeping views and size, but we ended up staying in 29, which is nestled on its own in some lava rocks that provide wind protection.
Wonderful campground. Great for star gazing. Sites are scattered across a lava field and represent a unique camping experience. If you find the campground fully booked there is a boon docking site just up the road.
An absolutely beautiful place to camp. Black lava rock everywhere. No cell service. No hookups but if you have a generator it’s all good to run it during normal non quiet hours. Vault toilets open in winter. Lots of fun hikes within the park. Sites have grills and can be used for RVs or tents. 15 or 7.50 if you are NPS pass holder or senior
This place was great! $8 because water is off for the season, I guess...normally $20. All facilities are closed so it’s just camping and exploring the park which is all within walking distance of the campground. Very friendly ranger working the front! Level sites on pavement. No fires allowed unless propane or grills. Very windy! Get a spot that has rocks on your west side to hide lol! This place was a great stop for a evening/night! Not a lot to see but what’s there is really cool! A must see if you’re passing thru Idaho down to Utah.
National Park campground is non/reservable and first come first served. Sites for RV on asphalt. No showers or laundry facilities but there are restrooms. Trails & visitor center within walking distance. Water available but no hook-ups.
Great place for kids to play in terror playground, small hike to the river, creek at your feet, well toilets but they put air fresheners (+1 star for that!) You can rent their small trailers that are super cute, well spaces out, somewhat level gravel. $30/night. Stay at least a couple days to enjoy.
Cons - no lights throughout the campground. We came at night and I got lost going to front desk to pay. You're along the freeway and near the train station so get those earplugs handy!
What a great campground, we had site #27. The RV pad was pretty level and overall a super clean site with a creek. Great deal for $30 in the off season. Also very dog friendly, and a cool playground for kids. Some things that would have made it 5 star for us was better signs/lights as it was very confusing for arriving after dark, and offering ice would have been nice, but super close to store and also would’ve liked WiFi. Not a huge deal though, with AT&T we got 3 bars. Definitely will be back next year!!
I really don't understand the bad reviews. People complaining there are no rivers or streams or complaining that there are no showers (nps website very clear about that). Sure, if you blindly pulled into this place expecting a KOA you're going to be disappointed. This campground is dry camping. Flush bathrooms on site (except Nov-Feb). Night skies are unbelievable due to the remoteness of the area and the parks decision to make it a dark sky facility. Campground setting is great (can see it being hot in mid summer but that's to be expected) and o e you are unlikely to experience anywhere else. Limited sites for large rigs and we got lucky to get one. Kids were in awe of the rocks around the campground and the skies at night. More than made up for having to "rough it" for a few nights.
I get it, it looks foreign to those who have never seen a lava field or remnants of volcanos. Somewhere it mentions it was the only one in the continental states... which isnt true! But it is probably the largest for sure. There is a huge area to drive through, and its certainly a sight to see. But the price is too high in my opinion. The campsites are super close together, its windy, hot in the summer and no showers. There are some interesting things to walk up to and literally walk up, but all of the hiking and areas where several people could be in the same area were closed due to health concerns. Yet the price remains at $20... half the park for the same price!
If you are coming from the east, there isnt much to see as you approach. If you are coming from the west, its almost as good of a view as the drive through tour!
I have never been to a campground like this. Considering all they have to work with are rocks, it is a good campground right next to the visitor center. The only reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because it's just not my style. Don't be expecting Idaho streams and trees. You are truly in a remote area here at Craters of the moon. I highly suggest going down in the caves where you can crawl in the lava tubes. If you are planning on camping here in the summer, be prepared for extreme dry heat.
Really cute private campground right off I30 near Lava Springs, Idaho
Some highway noise. Very clean sites. Vault toilets, clean and decorated nicely. Really wish they had a bathhouse and place to wash dishes. Firepit. Picnic table with flower pot was really a nice touch. Level, gravel, back in sites. Prices a bit high for just water and electric $40 to $55 They also rent tiny trailers, $55 a night. Lots of tent sites as well. Grass playground. Creek nearby. No camp store but they do sell firewood. Owner Annie, super friendly and accommodating. Refunded two nights since we wanted a shower. Only charged $5. 9/5/19
We were looking for an overnight stay while traveling through Idaho. We didn't arrive until 5pm and were certain the campground would be full. Much to our surprise it was not full but we were not told how many sites were available so pretty much took the first site we saw. It was a huge site for our little rig but we grabbed it anyway. We enjoyed visiting the park in the evening and having it almost entirely by ourselves. We also had a little time in the morning to catch some areas we missed the night before and also had this time to ourselves. Had we not stayed in the park I'm not sure we would have had time to visit on our way (20miles) to the next nearest campground. The park is fascinating and worth the drive.
Holy Cow! It really was like camping on the moon(except the wind) or on a volcano. This is a barren place due to the volcanic nature of the land, but it was very pretty and the campground was set up in an almost ingenious way to provide privacy for most sites. There were essentially two loops, but the loops had lots of twists and turns and ups and downs in order to squeeze in the most number of sites with the most privacy. I ended up with a deep site where I could set my tent up between some lava rocks to get some semblance of a wind break. From inside my tent I could not see any other sites(which was really nice), but I could see my neighbors from my picnic table. No fires are allowed(which I found interesting since we were camped on a lava flow), and there are no showers(someone told me that maybe I could get a shower at the KOA in Arco, but I didn’t bother). In fact, water is somewhat restricted- there were signs stating RV’s could not fill up, but all were welcome to fill personal water jugs. Even the dish washing station was closed at the restrooms. Speaking of which, the restrooms had flush toilets and sinks with cold water and were fairly clean if a bit outdated. Definitely get some hiking in while you are here. There is a nice trail from the campground that connects to the North Crater Flow trail, and if you have some stamina climb the Inferno Cone for great views(watch the ground for cinders that look like glass!). Get a permit at the visitors center to go into the lava tube caves(its free but required). I only hiked in Indian Cave as I wasn’t comfortable with the pitch black dark of Boy Scout and Beauty Caves by myself. Definitely check out the town of Arco, the first in the nation to be powered by nuclear energy. Not far from Arco is the nuclear power plant, decommissioned, where you can take a free tour. Back at the campground there is one last important note- you have to pay the electronic ranger for your campsite, and NO cash is accepted. Only credit cards.
I loved this campground we showed up in the early afternoon on a Thursday and they had plenty of spots still available. You are completely immersed into the lava landscape at this campground I really enjoyed it. The sites were nice size bathrooms were very clean lots of families and friendly people. A must if you are in Idaho. Note: if you plan to walk through any of the caves you need to visit the visitor center to get a permit.
Located right by the entrance station, this campground has 42 sites, with only a select number suitable for large RVs or 5th wheels(although we encountered a large RV coming toward us that necessitated us backing into an empty site)! It was very windy the day we were here but don’t know if that is typical. Flush toilets but no showers; typical of national park campgrounds. No hookups or dump station. Sites are surrounded by lava rocks; some were very nice but others not as much (sites 1-5 are right by (and I mean RIGHT BY) the entrance station). Sites 34, 35, 42, and 3 are fully accessible and site 34 has an electrical outlet for use by those with medical needs. Open April-November, weather dependent but water only available in peak months. Limited to no cell service (Verizon). $15 during peak season (half price for senior pass holders and when there is no water). No fee during April and November if open.
Dry camp, first come first served. An official dark sky location. Great for star gazing.
Right along the river, not too far but not too close to all other campgrounds and town. Some tent sites didn’t have any grass/shade, but still very put together. Had man made port-a-potty’s which were very nice. Renovated old time trailers are for rent per night/weekend also. We were located right by the river so the water blocked out much of the freeway noise however not certain about other sites. There is also a trail leading right to the hot springs from the campground.
This is what you would expect in the wilderness of Idaho! A unique location, and an experience worth having!
Please obey posted fire safety warnings as Idaho is plagued by enough man made wildfires each year!
Have fun and leave no trace!
Scenic and cool campsite smack in the middle of the lava beds of Craters of the Moon National Monument. Interesting information center within a quick walking distance with lots of national park rangers and activities.
Campsites are pretty small, but many are surrounded by LAVA. That said, very little shade, so if it’s the summer, it will be very hot.
Water, toilets, all available. RVs allowed but no hook-ups. No fire pits, but they do have charcoal grills available.
Very cool lava flow hikes and formations all around.
Camping at Craters of the moon is like camping... on the moon
