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Crater Rings National Natural Landmark

Pair of Volcanic Pit Craters

Geologic Formation near Mountain Home, ID

Crater Rings are two volcanic pit craters found roughly 9 miles west-northwest of Mountain Home, Idaho. Both craters are over half a mile wide, with the western crater being 2,500 feet wide and 300 feet deep, and the eastern crater being nearly 3,000 feet wide and 350 feet deep (however with the divot on the northeastern side, it reaches 3,500 feet wide).

Crater Rings were once lava lakes at the summit of a shield volcano, evident by the slight and gradual increase in elevation from the surrounding area. They then dried after the lava column solidified and fell, making these some of the only pit craters found in the continental United States. Being less than 2 million years old, this now-inactive volcano is actually the youngest of the shield volcanoes in the Mountain Home area. The sides of the craters stay a near constant 30-35 degree slope, peppered with large boulders that make it a slow and careful climb down. The sides then sharply flatten out into the basins of the pits.

Crater Rings are relatively easy to access, however while they are only 2 miles from I-84, the closest exits are Exit 74 onto Simco Road, and Exit 90 in northwestern Mountain Home, and onto the Old Oregon Trail Highway. Either of these paved roads intersect with the unpaved Cinder Butte Road, the closest reliable road to Crater Rings. Finally, about halfway between the Old Oregon Trail Highway and Reynolds Road, an unnamed southbound dirt road can be taken to reach Crater Rings. While this road is difficult to drive, it’s fairly easy to hike, going only 1.5 miles with a mild ascent and eventually branching into several dirt roads and trails that encompass both craters.

Due to the steep sides surrounding both craters, the easiest entry into either crater is to hike down the center of the large flume on the northeastern side of the eastern crater, however during the spring and summer months, the path may be less obvious due to overgrowth of weeds. This area may sometimes be subject to littering, and it is recommended to keep an eye out for rusted metals or rotting tires.

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