Established on May 2, 1924, Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve will honor its centennial anniversary with summer-long celebrations.
Free activities and events from May through September will feature a monthly theme. Each highlights the south-central Idaho park’s values, perspectives, and significance — which have all fluctuated throughout the last 100 years.
Coined the “phases of the moon,” themes include history, wilderness, research, geology, and the night sky.
Special Programming Happening from May through September
May – Rich Cultural History
According to Ella Clark, author of Indian Legends of the Northern Rockies, the origin of Craters of the Moon is tied to a serpent legend.
This oral history has been passed on through the Shoshone and Bannock tribes, which have inhabited the area since time immemorial — at least through the end of the last ice age.
Ancient archeological sites and artifacts are seen throughout the park, as is evidence of more recent human activity. These include Goodale’s Cutoff, a section of the Oregon Trail, and structures built during national park development.
Experience these sites during special May events that highlight park history:
- 🚶 Centennial Walk – Thursday, May 2 at 1 pm: A 1-hour guided walk led by Ted Stout, who was the park’s Chief of Interpretation and Education for 17 years.
- 🗣️ People of the Moon presentation – Saturday, May 4 at 1 pm: This 90-minute talk hosted by Stout will cover the Shoshone and Bannock tribes to today’s park visitors.
- 🎨 Artist-in-Residence Public Event – Saturday, May 25 at 12 pm: Painter April Felker will demonstrate the creation of oil landscapes through 4 pm.
June – Tranquil Wilderness
Craters of the Moon is a high desert landscape that, over the last 15,000 years, has seen significant volcanic activity.
Here, visitors encounter three lava fields including the Great Rift — the largest of its type in the contiguous US, featuring 60 lava flows and 25 cones. Among these volcanic structures lie sagebrush steppe and kipukas, islands of vegetation that managed to survive the surrounding lava flows.
Over 750 types of plants appear in the various ecosystems, as do many animals including pronghorn, pikas, yellow-bellied marmots, and 11 different species of bats. Craters of the Moon also feature 200 species of birds, along with reptiles and even amphibians.
June programming that spotlights the park’s wilderness includes:
- 🌷 Wildflower and Ethnobotany Walk – Saturday, June 1 at 10 am: Discover local flora on this 2-mile walk led by Doug Owen, who was a ranger, geologist, and education specialist at Craters of the Moon for 19 years.
- 🔭 Star Party – Saturday, June 1 at 9:30 pm: Enjoy telescope viewing among park rangers and volunteer astronomers at this International Dark Sky Park.
- 📷 Wildflower Photography Stroll – Saturday, June 8 at 12:30 pm: Join Owen on a wildflower hike to capture close-ups and panorama wildflower shots.
- 🌕 Full Moon Hike – Friday, June 21 at 9:45 pm: Attend a ranger-led hike beneath the full moon, which will illuminate the landscape and perhaps provide an opportunity to see nocturnal animals.
- 🎨 Artist-in-Residence Event – Saturday, June 29 at sunrise: Five artists-in-residence will publicly demonstrate their crafts during this special event.
July – Robust Research
Through extensive research, Craters of the Moon has amassed an impressive collection of cultural and natural history artifacts.
The former includes archeological materials; historic objects from 19th and 20th-century exploration, settlements, and mining; along with manuscripts and photographs associated with park promotion, scientific findings, and resource management.
The natural history collections include geological, plant, and animal specimens, along with project documentation and reports.
July events that honor park research include:
- 🔭 Star Party – Friday, July 5 at 9:45 pm: Listen in on a ranger presentation and enjoy telescope viewing in one of the country’s darkest areas.
- 🥾 Full Moon Hike – Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20 at 9:30 pm: Explore the park with a ranger by the light of the full moon.
August – Explosive Geology
The National Park Service (NPS) explains that the Craters of the Moon region has undergone extensive stretching throughout the last 30 million years. This stretching of the Earth’s crust releases pressure, causing hot rocks below the surface to melt.
Eight major eruptive periods occurred between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago, forming the lava fields seen at the park today. Experts believe another eruption period will occur in the future, likely along the central portion of the Great Rift.
Several August events will highlight this unique geology, including:
- 🌌 Star Party – Friday, August 2, and Saturday, August 3 at 9:30 pm: Admire the heavens above this volcanic landscape through park-provided telescopes.
- 🌕 Full Moon Hike – Monday, August 19 at 9 pm: Hike with a ranger beneath the full moon, which will illuminate the rocky surface and nearby cinder cones.
- 🥾 Tree Molds Trail Geology Hike – Saturday, August 24 at 10 am: Join former park geologist Owen on a 4-mile guided hike highlighting cinder and spatter cones, lava tubes, and varying types of lava.
September – Expansive Night Sky
Craters of the Moon is the only NPS unit named for a celestial body, and it achieved International Dark Sky Park status in 2017.
Far-off cities including Idaho Falls and Twin Falls do impact the park’s night sky. But still, the immediate region’s rugged terrain has deterred significant development.
To preserve the “natural lightscape,” which is essential for plant and animal life, Craters of the Moon has installed night sky-friendly lighting. These minimal and strategically placed lights rely on sensors and timers, limiting use and allowing celestial bodies to be viewed by the naked eye.
September programming on the park’s night sky includes:
- 🌌 Star Party – Friday, September 6, and Saturday, September 7 at 8:30 pm: Spot planets, galaxies, and other celestial objects through provided telescopes.
- 🌠 Artist-in-Residence Event – Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7 at 8:30 pm; and Sunday, September 15 at 8:15 pm: Photographer Evan Nelson will show attendees how to shoot stellar night sky images.
- 🌕 Full Moon Hike – Sunday, September 15 at 8:15 pm: Join a 45-minute ranger-led walk under the light of the full moon.
- 📸 Crash Course in Nature and Wildlife Photography – Saturday, September 28 at 11:30 am: Among his former park titles, Owen is a professional photographer and will demonstrate how to capture natural scenes with modest gear during this 4-hour course.
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