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
“Small sites little privacy”
Reviewed 7/2/2018
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 33 |
| RV Length: | 19' |
Overall Rating
The campground is conveniently located inside the park. It is inexpensive and super clean. My main reason for giving it only three stars is because all of the sites are small and super close to each other. It is great as a place to sleep while visiting the park, but it would never be a destination in and of itself.
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AT&T
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Awesome scenery and great campground!”
Reviewed 6/21/2018
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 36 |
| RV Length: | 30' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
This is a first-come, first-serve campground inside the national monument. We could not find many options in the area for free camping so tried it out. It worked out well because being right inside the park makes it much easier to take in all the sights and there were many! What a crazy place to visit. The rangers love to tout that... more
This is a first-come, first-serve campground inside the national monument. We could not find many options in the area for free camping so tried it out. It worked out well because being right inside the park makes it much easier to take in all the sights and there were many! What a crazy place to visit. The rangers love to tout that it is the only national recreation area protected because it is “weird”. Strangely enough these were my exact words when we arrived. What a weird place!! We stayed two nights in the beginning of June 2018. Weather was perfect. There are two spots (#1 & #2) off the road before you enter the actual campground for big rigs that want a little isolation. We decided to see what else we could find. There were several spots to choose from for our 30 ft rig. They also had a separate section for smaller RVs and tents. We stayed in spot #36 right across from the trail to the amphitheater. We had no trouble leveling in this spot and most of the spots seemed fairly level. The pay station was closed so we found a spot and then paid at the self-pay kiosk. I could not figure out how to pay for multiple nights so went back the next day and paid again. If you are a senior pass holder the kiosk will allow you to choose that option for the discount. The campground is very easy to find as it is right down the road from the visitor center. I would recommend getting the times and locations for the ranger led trails and presentations at the visitor center because you do not want to miss those! Big negative is there is no dump station on-site. There is a dump station down the road in Arco near Jack’s Travel Center. You really need to bring everything with you because the towns nearby are small and have very few services. The views at the campground are crazy. You are surrounded by volcanic rock. The rock likes to stick in shoes and doggy pads so be careful. The roads in the park and campground are all blacktop to match the surrounding area so they can get too hot in the sun. Make sure you check that before taking your furry friends for a walk. We did not have trouble when we were there and were able to walk our dogs around the campgrounds both days. Cell phone service was questionable. We were able to get 2-3 bars of AT&T for internet access with a small booster. We had no cell service with AT&T for phone calls. The Verizon hotspot was not much better for internet without the booster. We saw just about everything in the two days so you do not have to stay too long here. We would highly recommend this campground and even if you do not stay here make sure to check on the national monument.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
MasseysLife would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Stunning National Monument ”
Reviewed 6/11/2018
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | 38 |
Overall Rating
Be sure to stop at the self pay kiosk, if booth is closed, before entering the campground. The reason, there is a sign on the board the show which sites will accommodate what length. Sites 1 and 2 are just left of the kiosk and checking booth. They are some of the longest sites in the campground. Danger at site 14! There is a s... more
Be sure to stop at the self pay kiosk, if booth is closed, before entering the campground. The reason, there is a sign on the board the show which sites will accommodate what length.
Sites 1 and 2 are just left of the kiosk and checking booth. They are some of the longest sites in the campground.
Danger at site 14! There is a sharp left turn right at site 14. Stay to the far right as you enter the turn. There are large sharp rocks on the left. A 5th wheel sliced his trailer tires making the turn.
No dump and no RV water fill. There is a free dump and water fill in Arco. Also, a nice little campground in Arco.
Be sure to hike big crater.
No cell without booster.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
KenneysSeeAmerica would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“A unique experience among a fascinating landscape”
Reviewed 10/12/2017
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 2 |
| RV Length: | 25' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
We arrive on hot Friday evening to find only 2 sites left available. Fortunately, one of them was site #2 which might just be the best in the whole campground. Located off to the side near the entrance station, this massive pull thru site has a tree for shade (you're going to need it in the summer) and more privacy than any other site.... more
We arrive on hot Friday evening to find only 2 sites left available. Fortunately, one of them was site #2 which might just be the best in the whole campground. Located off to the side near the entrance station, this massive pull thru site has a tree for shade (you're going to need it in the summer) and more privacy than any other site.
We only spent two nights but had plenty of time to hike nearly all the trails in the park and visit the underground caves.
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Verizon 4G
WatsonsWander would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Way more fun than expected”
Reviewed 9/8/2017
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 40 |
| RV Length: | 25' |
Overall Rating
We didn't have high expectations.... but this place is really pretty cool. And they have the cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen. Regarding cell signal, we had 0/1 bars of both AT&T and Verizon, but with the booster and Yagi antenna I was able to get a decent AT&T 4g signal, suitable for streaming and video conferencing. (5-7mbit d... more
We didn't have high expectations.... but this place is really pretty cool.
And they have the cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen.
Regarding cell signal, we had 0/1 bars of both AT&T and Verizon, but with the booster and Yagi antenna I was able to get a decent AT&T 4g signal, suitable for streaming and video conferencing. (5-7mbit down). Verizon didn't fare as well.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
Chris Erickson would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Most Unique!”
Reviewed 9/7/2017
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 25 |
| RV Length: | 13' |
Overall Rating
Recently renovated, no hookups. Most sites are somewhat private. A few are tent only (be sure not to put anything with wheels on a tent site, you will be firmly told by the camp host to relocate. -even if the campground is already full...) This camp and National Monument is a hidden gem. Take the time to visit the sights within the ... more
Recently renovated, no hookups. Most sites are somewhat private. A few are tent only (be sure not to put anything with wheels on a tent site, you will be firmly told by the camp host to relocate. -even if the campground is already full...)
This camp and National Monument is a hidden gem. Take the time to visit the sights within the park and surrounding areas, its rich in ancient and modern history!
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Verizon 4G
Cuffs N Yak would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Bizarre. Unique. Awesome!”
Reviewed 8/19/2017
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 5 |
| Site Number: | 12 |
| RV Length: | 24' |
Overall Rating
What a strange campoground. You are un the middle of a field of lava. Everything is black, even the sidewalks, There are a few trees and we were lucky enough to get the last site and it had a tree on it, providing shade during the afternoon. All this blackness could raise the temperature during summer days but there is usually a fa... more
What a strange campoground. You are un the middle of a field of lava. Everything is black, even the sidewalks, There are a few trees and we were lucky enough to get the last site and it had a tree on it, providing shade during the afternoon. All this blackness could raise the temperature during summer days but there is usually a fair amount of wind to make it comfortable. At night (in August), temperature goes down in the high 50's, low 60's so a comfy sleep as well. Even though generators are permitted, very few people use them making the campground a very quiet place. The campground and the area are darker than dark at night which make it one of the best place to look at the stars in total tranquillity. We initially booked for only one night but were totally impressed with what we saw so we decided to stay 4 more nights.
Water faucets available but they ask you not to use them to fill your RV tank. No dump station, no electricity. There is a free dump station in Arco which is about 20 miles away.
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AT&T 4G
Luc would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Unique place to camp”
Reviewed 7/22/2017
| Nightly rate: | $7 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
Overall Rating
This is such a unique place to camp and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. Even without electricity, the heat was not overwhelming because it was windy while we were here. The price reflects our senior pass discount. If you are traveling west out of here, there is a free dump station behind the Exxon station in Carey.
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Verizon 4G
Yankee & Rebel would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Practically new”
Reviewed 9/21/2016
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| RV Length: | 27' |
Overall Rating
We lucked out as we arrived 2 days after they reopened the campground after reconstruction. It is a top-notch campground in all areas, but the hookups were not yet functional. No worries, we came prepared. The campground is pretty close to the highway, so you can hear that noise if you pay attention.
No cell to get some sleep.
Van-Tramp would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“First Time Camping in a Lava Field”
Reviewed 8/18/2015
| Nightly rate: | $10 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 26 |
Overall Rating
The Lava Flow campground is first-come, first serve so if you have a bigger rig you should try to get there earlier in the day. We arrived around noon and were able to find a few sites that would accommodate us (26 ft. travel trailer and 20 ft. truck). Site 26 is a great site as it sits above some of the other sites and it has a dece... more
The Lava Flow campground is first-come, first serve so if you have a bigger rig you should try to get there earlier in the day. We arrived around noon and were able to find a few sites that would accommodate us (26 ft. travel trailer and 20 ft. truck). Site 26 is a great site as it sits above some of the other sites and it has a decent amount of privacy, though it is not very level. It is also just above the sign that warns big rigs not to proceed up to the top loop due to a very tight turn at the top. We had no problems getting out but a long RV might. There are no site utilities and no dump station; there is water available throughout the campground and the restrooms have flush toilets.
The scenery is awesome, there are very few places like it. The park has a 7 mile loop road to drive with numerous short hikes to points of interest such as lava tubes and cinder cones. We had no ATT signal in the campground but did get some signal while on the loop road and hiking.
Wen607 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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