Located on Loop Road at Stop #5, Spatter Cones and Snow Cone trail is just down the road from the Inferno Cone trail and about 2 miles from the Cave Trail. It is a quick, easy stop to view the miniature volcanoes. Spatter cones are one of the main types of volcanic type landforms. They are made from lava that was ejected from a vent. The spatter cones are easy to distinguish especially during the eruption. Unlike some volcanoes that produce lava flow during the eruption, the eruptions in spatter cones are similar to an explosion. If you want to read more on the history of Crater of the Moon, you can check it out here.
STATS:
Where:
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
Coordinates: Visitors center – 43°27’43.0″N 113°33’42.0”W
Spatter Cones trail – 43°26’31.3″N 113°33’26.1″W
Parking:
There is a decent size parking lot right before the trail.
Hours:
Crater of the Moon Monument is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. Winter snows usually prevent automobile access around the Loop Road from mid-November through mid-April. To get to the trailhead, you will need to drive through Loop Road.
Distance:
0.5 miles R.T. for each cone.
Elevation Gain:
24 ft
Level:
Easy
Estimated Completion Time:
Half an hour
Ideal Weather:
Spring and Fall are the best seasons to go. Summer will get very hot, especially with the sun reflecting off the black volcano rocks. Winter weather can get very extreme.
Ideal Time:
The earlier the better as it will get very hot there!
Dog-friendly:
Dogs are not allowed on the trails inside the park.
THE ADVENTURE:
From the top of Inferno Cone, our tour guide/longtime friend Brian spotted the Spatter Cones from afar. We decided to make the stop there to check out these interesting looking hills. The pair of miniature volcanoes are accessible by a short, paved trail that starts out flat and then curls up the side to a fenced viewpoint into a small crater. It was very windy the day we went, especially when you got close to the viewpoint. There were families of birds that live inside the holes in the rock above the cones. They were too fast for us to take a good photo, but it was pretty interesting to watch these little guys gliding in the wind and flying straight into the tiny holes in the rock that were their homes at top speed.
The Snow Cone is next to the two Spatter Cones and accessible by another very short trail. This spatter cone
North Crater Trail forks right off from Snow Cone trail. It leads right through the lava flows and crater vents. It is a 1.8 miles trail one way that leads back to the main road so you can either choose to return back along the trail or walk back along the road. We were short on time that day so we didn’t end up hiking this trail. If you have time, don’t forget to check out Inferno Cone up the road and the awesome caves at the Cave Trail. If you are looking for more fun adventures around this part of Idaho, check out the Boise River Float or Kayaking to Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our Youtube channel, and sign up for our newsletter!
RECOMMEND GEAR:
Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
• Sunscreen
It gets really warm here. There is not a lot of shade so make sure you use plenty of sunscreens. We use eco-friendly, reef safe sunscreen, Alba Botanica Hawaiian Sunscreen or Sun Bum Sunscreen.
• Good hiking shoes with traction
Vy’s shoes are North Face
Dustin’s shoes are Coleman Tasman Hiking Shoe.
• A jacket
It gets a bit windy up top. If you get cold easy as I do, a light jacket would be good.
• Lunch and snacks
The trail is very short so you won’t need lunch for it, but you will need food if you’re visiting Craters of the Moon. There is nothing around here.•
• Lots of water!
It is a short hike, but there is no shade on the trail and it will get very hot during the summer or in full sun. Vy uses the Camelback L.U.X.E. Dustin uses the Clik Small pack (sadly Clik is no longer around).
CAMERA GEAR:
• Camera:
Sony a99
• Lenses:
Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX
