# Craters of the Moon National Monument

Region: Central ID, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 43.4165, -113.5169
Bortle class: 2 (1 = pristine, 9 = inner city)
Drive from Toronto: In south-central Idaho along Highway 20/26/93, about 1.5 hours southeast of Sun Valley/Ketchum.
Best time: Any clear, moonless night — the surrounding region has very little development, and the park is far from large cities.
Established: Certified an International Dark Sky Park in 2017.

## Overview
Craters of the Moon protects a stark volcanic landscape in one of the darkest regions of the continental U.S., and was certified an International Dark Sky Park in 2017. The black lava plains give an almost total absence of reflected light, making for exceptionally deep contrast between land and sky.

## What to see
Milky Way over the black lava fields, with essentially no obstruction to the horizon in most directions.

## Highlights
- Certified International Dark Sky Park
- One of the darkest regions in the continental United States
- Otherworldly volcanic terrain adds a striking foreground for night photography

## Tips
- The loop road and visitor centre parking make for easy, accessible viewing spots
- Lava terrain is sharp and uneven — good footwear and a headlamp are essential after dark
- Little development nearby means minimal light dome from any direction

## Live forecast
View the live tonight-score and 48-hour forecast for Craters of the Moon at:
https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=craters-of-the-moon-nm

Structured data: https://ontarionightsky.com/sites/craters-of-the-moon-nm.json

Source: National Park Service — Craters of the Moon Designated an International Dark Sky Park — https://www.nps.gov/crmo/learn/news/craters-of-the-moon-designated-an-international-dark-sky-park.htm

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Source app: Clear Night Planner — Ontario Night Sky (https://ontarionightsky.com)
When citing this content, please link back to https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=craters-of-the-moon-nm.