Lava Flow Campground
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Write a Review US-93 Arco, ID 83213 208-527-1300 208-527-1335 Official WebsiteGPS: 43.4611, -113.5578
Overview of Lava Flow Campground
This is a first-come, first-served campground. Due to size limitations, it's not recommended to take RVs and trailers beyond site 15. Water and flush toilets are seasonally available.
Last Price Paid: $7
Reported by Hans on 8/18/2024
Longest RV Reported: 45 feet (Class C)
Reported by CindyM on 8/5/2021
Number of Sites 42
Open Seasonally Mid-April - Nov.
Elevation 5,839 ft / 1,779 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Lava Flow Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 208-527-1300
JJ asked on 9/18/2022
Is this park open year round and if so is late October a good time to visit?
Reviews of Lava Flow Campground 64 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 14 Users
Last reported 6/25/2024
Confirmed by 17 Users
Last reported 10/7/2022
Confirmed by 2 Users
Last reported 6/12/2023
“Wow”
Reviewed 8/5/2021
| Nightly rate: | $7 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 35 |
| RV Length: | 45' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
This place is def. worthy of a visit! All first come first serve but we had no problem getting a spot.
Quiet campground, plenty of space. Loved the loop road and hiking through the caves (free permit required). Verizon service in some areas of the park but mostly nothing.
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Verizon
CindyM would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Awesome spot for a night”
Reviewed 7/28/2021
| Nightly rate: | $10 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| RV Length: | 28' |
Overall Rating
Craters of the Moon is an other worldly place worth checking out. The campground was clean, easy to access and nicely spaced dry camping. It could get very hot here and it quite exposed. The bathroom was a nice, modern facility. Be sure to check out the caves!
Katie and Todd would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Coolest campground, Craters is great for a day or two, FCFS”
Reviewed 7/18/2021
| Days stayed: | 2 |
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| RV Length: | 25' (Pop Up Camper) |
Overall Rating
You are in the very middle of a lava flow in this campground. So cool. It was clearly redone recently, the roads look fresh. The sites can be huge and there are lots of little paths into the lava rocks from the campsites. Signal was OK on the far end. About half the sites are OK for bigger rigs; the other half is definitely not. Flush ... more
You are in the very middle of a lava flow in this campground. So cool. It was clearly redone recently, the roads look fresh. The sites can be huge and there are lots of little paths into the lava rocks from the campsites. Signal was OK on the far end. About half the sites are OK for bigger rigs; the other half is definitely not. Flush toilets but no showers.
Craters of the Moon is only a 7 mile loop drive which is kind of nice given how huge some of the National Parks can be. There are several approachable hikes and 4 really cool lava caves (be sure to go to all - they are very different). If you want to go in them you need to wear different clothes than in any caves you've been in since 2005 to prevent White Nose Syndrome and protect the bats. You have to have a free permit to get into the caves which you can get at the Visitor Center or the Entrance Station.
There was quite a bit of turnover. I recommend at least one full day if not two and then you can easily have seen the whole park. We were there during a heat wave so the exploration hours were limited (but the caves felt really good).
Note that you pay at the kiosk near the entrance station and you can only pay for one night and only with a credit card there. If you want to pay for more, go to the visitor center.
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AT&T 4G
T-Mobile 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Pleasant Surprise”
Reviewed 6/6/2021
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 12 |
| RV Length: | 27' (Truck Camper) |
Overall Rating
Detour on original route to Sun Valley to see the Craters on 6/4/21. Found out they had a campground and for $15, we decided to stay a night and take in the sights. Campground is right in the lava flow and kept pretty clean. Very unique and scenic. No cell service in campground, but decent reception in various spots throughout park. We... more
Detour on original route to Sun Valley to see the Craters on 6/4/21. Found out they had a campground and for $15, we decided to stay a night and take in the sights. Campground is right in the lava flow and kept pretty clean. Very unique and scenic. No cell service in campground, but decent reception in various spots throughout park. Well worth the time to see if you’re in the vicinity.
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Verizon 4G
Nozhol would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Good for a night while you enjoy Craters of the Moon NM”
Reviewed 5/26/2021
| Nightly rate: | $8 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 8 |
| RV Length: | 27' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
We spent one night here on 5/24/21. We have a 27' TT and there were only a couple spots available we could fit. For some reason there were several sites with notes on the posts saying reserved for NPS thru mid June. We only found one water spigot open. We had NO cell or internet service in the campground. It is a great spot to see Crat... more
We spent one night here on 5/24/21. We have a 27' TT and there were only a couple spots available we could fit. For some reason there were several sites with notes on the posts saying reserved for NPS thru mid June. We only found one water spigot open. We had NO cell or internet service in the campground. It is a great spot to see Craters but the caves were closed and so was the North Crater Flow Trail. For $8 (since the water is turned off), it was worth it. Not sure if I would have felt the same for $15. The first loop will fit the larger rigs but there is a sign warning long rigs and 5th wheels should not attempt the second loop.
We did find the furthest end of the park (not the campground) was a bit of cell service.
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Verizon
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful dry camping”
Reviewed 5/12/2021
| Nightly rate: | $8 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 14 |
| RV Length: | 32' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
Currently the water hasn't been turned on at the park so the camping rate is only $8/night compared to the normal $15/night. The water is at faucets scattered around the park, not at every site. They ask that you do NOT fill your rig's fresh water tank with them due to supply. We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon and the park was 70% f... more
Currently the water hasn't been turned on at the park so the camping rate is only $8/night compared to the normal $15/night. The water is at faucets scattered around the park, not at every site. They ask that you do NOT fill your rig's fresh water tank with them due to supply. We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon and the park was 70% full. As mentioned in other reviews this is a FCFS campground, so no reservations. The spots are snug and our 31' class C is probably about as big as I would go in here. There are a few pull through sites for those with towables but a triple axle 5th wheel most likely won't be able to maneuver in the campground. There are vault toilets open year round and a showers are available seasonally (whenever they turn the water on).
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Gorgeous Views - Day and Night!”
Reviewed 5/1/2021
| Nightly rate: | $8 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 17 |
Overall Rating
Camp surrounded by the stunning lava rocks of Craters of the Moon National Monument! This well maintained campground is the perfect base for exploring everything Craters has to offer. And since this is an International Dark Sky area, the night sky viewing is some of the best in the country! Most sites are pretty small and tight - pe... more
Camp surrounded by the stunning lava rocks of Craters of the Moon National Monument! This well maintained campground is the perfect base for exploring everything Craters has to offer. And since this is an International Dark Sky area, the night sky viewing is some of the best in the country!
Most sites are pretty small and tight - perfect for tents, truck campers, vans, and small rigs. I saw 2-3 sites that would accommodate large rigs, but since this is a first-come, first-serve location, I would not have attempted it in our fifth wheel. If you have anything over 25 feet, do not attempt to go passed the pictured sign - the turns are super tight and surrounded by lava rocks!
Also, a lot of reviews say they had no internet. While we only had 1 bar of LTE, we had great speeds in the back part of the campground (sites 16-33 - the small rig only area).
AT&T (without Booster)
Down: 22.60
Up: 0.63
Finally - this park is notorious for getting strong winds, so make sure all your stuff is tied down appropriately!
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AT&T 4G
SeeingTheSeitz would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“easy access to explore the park”
Reviewed 4/12/2021
| Days stayed: | 4 |
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| RV Length: | 29' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
Stayed 4/26/18 – 4/29/18. This is a small campground at the entrance of the national park. One of the hiking trails is accessible from the campground. The road in the campground is paved and the site pads are gravel. Fresh water is available. We really enjoyed our stay here and having easy access to explore the park.
Rohdsteading would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Campground nestled in the lava landscape”
Reviewed 10/30/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
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| Days stayed: | 10 |
| Site Number: | 29 |
Overall Rating
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 the... more
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
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stephcamp would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Interesting but not so comfortable”
Reviewed 10/16/2020
| Nightly rate: | $7 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
Overall Rating
Unusual location in the middle of black lava fields. The campground is closely managed and tidy, and the sites are interestingly placed among lava piles. Some sites are reasonably private but there is very little vegetation. The wind was howling while we were there (and seems to do so all the time) so it was impossible to find a place ... more
Unusual location in the middle of black lava fields. The campground is closely managed and tidy, and the sites are interestingly placed among lava piles. Some sites are reasonably private but there is very little vegetation. The wind was howling while we were there (and seems to do so all the time) so it was impossible to find a place to sit outside and still hold on to our book. There are some interesting hikes down the road, also very windy.
Thorbro would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
Recreation
- recreation trail
Site Amenities
- big rig
- picnic table
- pull thru
Facilities
- ADA Accessible
- recycle
- restrooms: flush
- trash
- water available
Pets
- pets
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