Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve (State Area)

Arco · 1266 Craters of the Moon Loop Rd Arco ID 83213

Location Details

Visual Character

“50,000-year-old volcanic lava fields stretching to the horizon — jet black basalt, cinder cones, lava tubes, and spatter craters create an alien landscape unlike anything else in the continental US. Used by NASA for training and by filmmakers for otherworldly sequences.”

About this location

CRATERS OF THE MOON DELIVERS THE MOST OTHERWORLDLY VISUAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESSIBLE VIA PAVED ROAD IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. MILES OF JET-BLACK BASALT LAVA FIELDS, CINDER CONES, SPATTER CONES, AND ACCESSIBLE LAVA TUBE CAVES CREATE A GENUINELY ALIEN LANDSCAPE NASA ONCE USED TO TRAIN APOLLO ASTRONAUTS. FOR INDIE FILMMAKERS, THIS IS A READY-MADE SCI-FI, POST-APOCALYPTIC, OR SURREALIST LOCATION WITH ZERO CONSTRUCTION COST. THE VISUAL CONTRAST BETWEEN DARK VOLCANIC ROCK AND IDAHO'S BIG BLUE SKY