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
“One of a kind”
Reviewed 7/13/2019
| Nightly rate: | $7 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 32 |
Overall Rating
We were there 6/17 and 6/18/19. We've been here several times. One of our favorite stops between NV and WY. The peace and tranquility is hard to beat. This last trip , we had more activity than usual - but that's OK, good to see places like this getting used.
Sandi would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Stargazing”
Reviewed 7/10/2019
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 32 |
| RV Length: | 13' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Not much I can add just they fill up fast and limited large RV spaces. We came here for the hikes and stargazing both were great! Wash room for doing dishes closed for maintenance.
DMR would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Spacious, clean, challenging WiFi”
Reviewed 6/28/2019
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 38 |
| RV Length: | 24' |
Overall Rating
The landscape is otherworldly, which is really cool. The camp site’s are spacious and blend in well with the landscape. There are fresh water spigots throughout the campground, and plenty of trash receptacles. The bathrooms are sizable and clean. If you want/need cell signal or WiFi you might struggle. The campground does not offer WiF... more
The landscape is otherworldly, which is really cool. The camp site’s are spacious and blend in well with the landscape. There are fresh water spigots throughout the campground, and plenty of trash receptacles. The bathrooms are sizable and clean. If you want/need cell signal or WiFi you might struggle. The campground does not offer WiFi and the cell signal is nearly nonexistent. We were able to use our AT&T Nighthawk and $30 MIMO antenna to get 10-15 mbps download speed but almost no upload.
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AT&T 4G
Living A Stout Life would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Unique Campground”
Reviewed 6/28/2019
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 31 |
| RV Length: | 21' (Truck Camper) |
Overall Rating
Beautiful placement and layout of the campsites so they feel like they are a part of this unique landscape. Staying here is all about location and it is a gorgious one. Centralized water spigots are spread out throughout the campground. Bathrooms are spacious and clean, but lack of showers is a bummer. Verizon 1-bar of 3G but even ... more
Beautiful placement and layout of the campsites so they feel like they are a part of this unique landscape. Staying here is all about location and it is a gorgious one. Centralized water spigots are spread out throughout the campground. Bathrooms are spacious and clean, but lack of showers is a bummer.
Verizon 1-bar of 3G but even boosted with a WeBoost we found that it was useless.
LTE is available farther into the park but not at the campground or visitor center.
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T-Mobile
NomadicMoments.com would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Small but very convenient”
Reviewed 6/27/2019
| Nightly rate: | $7 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 15 |
| RV Length: | 30' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
This isn't a large or spaced out campground but it is super convenient for seeing the park and getting the most out of your Craters experience. It is a short walk from the visitor's center and I highly recommend watching their 15 minute video about the park - very informative! It is dry camping, the sites are paved and mine was leve... more
This isn't a large or spaced out campground but it is super convenient for seeing the park and getting the most out of your Craters experience. It is a short walk from the visitor's center and I highly recommend watching their 15 minute video about the park - very informative!
It is dry camping, the sites are paved and mine was level enough that I didn't need blocks. The sites when you first enter are larger than the ones further in. There are some pull-thrus (like 15).
My AT&T service was almost non-existent. Every once in a while I would get 1 bar, but I wouldn't count on it.
The bathrooms were clean but I didn't see any showers. The campground is also fairly close to the entrance road so it isn't as quiet as it could be if it were nestled further in the park. It fills up early so try to get there as close to check-out (12pm) as you can to grab a spot in the busy summer months.
I paid $7.50 with my Access pass, regular price is $15 during the summer months.
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AT&T
mnp_traveler would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Awesome”
Reviewed 5/14/2019
| Nightly rate: | $4 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 8 |
| RV Length: | 30' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
Paid $4, seniors and have a pass. Easy access to campground. Level spots. Several places we could park our 30' RV with toad (49' total). Our spot was number 8. Close to bathrooms. No water yet this year, I assume due to just opening. Great films in welcome center explaining how this area came to be. NO CELL SERVICE FOR VERIZON
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“The one and only place to camp”
Reviewed 10/6/2018
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 2 |
| RV Length: | 25' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
This campground is basically the only convenient place to camp when visiting Craters of the Moon National Monument, since the town of Arco is fairly distant and has extremely limited offerings. Sites are generally well-spaced, and we like the ambiance of the campsites nestled among the volcanic formations. As is typical for a national ... more
This campground is basically the only convenient place to camp when visiting Craters of the Moon National Monument, since the town of Arco is fairly distant and has extremely limited offerings. Sites are generally well-spaced, and we like the ambiance of the campsites nestled among the volcanic formations. As is typical for a national park campground, this is dry camping, with water available throughout the campground and pit toilets.
Payment for camping is exclusively through the kiosk located across from the staffed entry booth, so be sure to bring a credit or debit card. We weren’t able to figure out how to pay for more than one night at a time, so we needed to renew each morning for the duration of our visit. Most people only stayed 1-2 nights, so this isn’t a significant burden on campers.
We did find the campground layout to be a little unclear, and apparently other people did, too, based on the number of people who accidentally drove into our pull through site thinking it was the loop road. Sites are a mixture of pull-through and back-in, with a wide variety of sizes. Consult the map / site list at the kiosk to find a site that fits your needs. Two of the best sites for larger rigs are #1 and #2, on the left side as you enter the park. They are strangely located behind the entry booth, and are somewhat separated from the rest of the campground, but have nice long driveways and pretty good privacy.
It took us only one day of fairly slow wanderings to see the exhibits and most of the trails in the park, so this is definitely a park that can be visited quickly if needed. Be sure to bring all your necessary groceries since Arco is far away and has few restaurants or stores. There is a free dump station in Arco at the Conoco station which is open from April through October.
AT&T Internet: We had no service on small devices like phones and tablets, but our MyFi picked up 1 bar of LTE service which proved to be surprisingly solid and fast.
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AT&T 4G
Zamia Ventures would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“The campground is the best way to experience the monument”
Reviewed 8/4/2018
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 15 |
Overall Rating
As other reviewers have stated, this is a nice campground right in the monument and the best way to enjoy your visit. During my visit the end of July most people would stay one night and leave early. To get a good site you need to arrive early afternoon especially if you have a larger rig as those sites are limited. Overall it's a typi... more
As other reviewers have stated, this is a nice campground right in the monument and the best way to enjoy your visit. During my visit the end of July most people would stay one night and leave early. To get a good site you need to arrive early afternoon especially if you have a larger rig as those sites are limited. Overall it's a typical campground experience but reasonably priced and very convenient.
Robert would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Hot and pretty”
Reviewed 7/24/2018
| Nightly rate: | $2 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 36 |
| RV Length: | 32' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
Wish there was hook ups. 90s made inside RV hot
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AT&T
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Inexpensive, right in the middle of a not-to-be-missed National Monument!”
Reviewed 7/4/2018
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 4 |
Overall Rating
We stayed here two nights. Lots of site selections. We were able to change sites for a bit more privacy on the second night. Bathroom facilities have flush toilets and running water. No cell coverage at the campground. Cell coverage is available in various spots as you drive around the 7-mile scenic drive that is accessed right at... more
We stayed here two nights. Lots of site selections. We were able to change sites for a bit more privacy on the second night. Bathroom facilities have flush toilets and running water. No cell coverage at the campground. Cell coverage is available in various spots as you drive around the 7-mile scenic drive that is accessed right at the campground entrance. You are required to pay for a National Parks pass which is $20 per week or $80 per year, in addition to the $15 nightly rate. (We needed to by a parks pass for the year anyway!)
Little shade its just what it proclaims, “Craters of the Moon”. You wouldn’t find such great amenities and park staff on the Moon. That’s for sure!
If you love star gazing and a total change of scenery from the norm.....this is the place!
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Verizon
T-Mobile
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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