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Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve
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Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

Living in a world such as this is like dancing on a live volcano...
— Kentetsu Takamori
Otherworldly Wonders
Step away from expectations and into the mystical terrain of the Moon. Observe iconic wildlife and camp out under the stars.
Explore the wonderfully weird landscape formed by molten lava fields nearly 15 million years ago. Discover Craters of the Moon’s awe-inspiring geological history.

One of four national parks in Idaho, President Calvin Coolidge created Craters of the Moon National Monument on May 2, 1924.

The monument preserves around 53,500 acres of volcanic formations and lava flows on the northern rim of the Snake River Plain in southcentral Idaho. A desolate yet sublime landscape that could only be described as "weird," the monument has never failed to inspire, if not evoke ambivalent responses from even its most ardent supporters left speechless by the unusual lava terrain.

Craters of the Moon is a huge national park. It is over 1,100 square miles (over 750,000 acres) which is roughly the size of Rhode Island. The young lava flows that make up the bulk of the Monument and Preserve can clearly be seen from space.

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