Lava Flow Campground, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Arco, ID

Lava Flow Campground is part of Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho (1 hr 39 min northwest of Pocatello, ID) with an elevation of 5,872 feet. There are a total of 42 campsites. The campground is open all year. Sites can accommodate RVs between 25 and 50 feet. All sites are currently first-come first-served. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring with grill. 1 site has electric hookups. There is a fee of $15.00 per night. Some amenities include drinking water, accessible, restroom, trash dumpster, amphitheater. Activities include hiking trails, rock climbing.

Campsite Reviews (1)

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@JohnSowell · Camped on Jun 11, 2023 at Campsite #2

The Lava Flow Campground at Craters of the Moon National Monument is a hidden gem. I have come here many times over the years but never considered staying overnight. That's likely because I've often visited during the heat of the summer and all that lava radiates heat and there's very little shade. But over a cool June weekend, it was the perfect setting. Spring flowers were out in full force and the temperatures were ideal, in the low 70s. Site 2 is the best campsite in the park, bar none. It's one of two sites next to one another that are elevated, giving extraordinary views of the rest of the campground and the Craters monument. Yes, you have to listen to traffic heading in and out of the moment (one way in and out), but we found it was a great place to people watch. Such as the reply by five motorcyclists that came in early and made a quick exit when told by a ranger they'd have to pay the $10 admission fee. "We're not going to pay that," one of them said as they turned around and vanished. The site has a long drive way and the ranger suggested we come in the wrong way to the site if we wanted our doors looking out on the campground instead of the hill behind us. We took her up on her offer. Our 25-foot trailer seemed overwhelmed by the site. There was room for at least another trailer of the same size and maybe two. We typically book campgrounds where we can make advance reservations. After speaking with a ranger over the phone, we decided to chance getting a first-come, first-served site. She said most camping guests arrive between 2 and 3 p.m. We got there at noon and they allowed us to find an empty site and claim it. I loved the self-service kiosk at the entrance. Not only could you pay your entrance fee (card only, no cash) with the machine, you could also pay for your camping site. It even let me slide my access pass and claim the half-off discount. The printed receipt was for a campsite, not a specific one, so you find an empty spot and put half the receipt in a little box that allows other campers and rangers know a site has been taken. The receipts are for one day only, so if you want the space for another night, you have to go to the kiosk the next day and pay again. They pick up the day before's receipts so any empty boxes lets you know the site is available if no one is there. Because of the summer heat, I recommend coming to Craters of the Moon and camping in the spring and fall, when conditions are milder. We rode our bikes throughout the campground and to the Devils Orchard Nature Trail, a round-trip trek of about four miles. We did it in the evening, so there wasn't a lot of traffic on the main road. We loved this campground and we got to see a spectacular sunset.

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