Weather forecast
Wed, Jun 24Start
Cooke City, MT
70°
45°
💧 29%
En route
Craters of the Moon
95°
62°
💧 0%
Overnight
Butte, MT
81°
49°
💧 18%
Forecast via Open-Meteo
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Craters of the Moon National Monument
Jr. Ranger Badge
Junior Ranger badge — visitor center closes 4:30 PM
Game Plan
Arrive ~12:45 PM. Get badge books AND the free cave permit at the VC desk on arrival.
- Inferno Cone (0.4 mi RT · steep) — Short stomp up a black cinder cone; 360° view of the whole lava field. Kids love it.
- Devils Orchard (0.5 mi loop · paved) — Easy walk among lava fragments — good badge-book stop.
- Indian Tunnel (0.8 mi RT + cave) — 800-ft lava tube with skylights; the trip's most adventurous easy walk. Permit is free at the VC.
- North Crater Flow boardwalk (first loop stop) — touchable lava textures
- Snake River Plain scenery on US-20 — watch for the Tetons' back side near Ashton
Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour
Sunrise
5:54 AM MDT
Sunset
9:19 PM MDT
Be set up by (sunrise)
5:24 AM
Be set up by (sunset)
8:59 PM
Sunrise spot — You're driving through Yellowstone at sunrise — same Lamar Valley golden opportunity (see Day 4). The drive from Cooke City at 6:15 AM catches it perfectly.
The 6:15 AM departure puts you in Lamar Valley at sunrise — same magic as Day 4 if you lingered, but this morning you're heading west through Yellowstone.
Sunset spot — You'll be on US-93 between Mackay and Arco ID heading toward Butte at sunset. The Pioneer Mountains east of Mackay make a dramatic backdrop across the Snake River Plain.
Pull over on US-93 near Mackay ID around 8:55 PM — wide-open Snake River Plain with the Pioneer range to the east catching the last light.
Heads Up
Longest drive day (~10 hr) and the one exception to 8:30 departures. 7:30 AM is the sweet spot: keeps the cave + full loop while still giving a decent morning. An 8:30 start would mean skipping Indian Tunnel or cutting the loop — your call if the family needs the extra hour.
Cave permit is free but required, and screening is for white-nose syndrome (don't bring gear/clothes used in other caves).
Lava fields hit 90°F+ with zero shade in late June — hats, sunscreen, and more water than you think.
Trip Journal — Day 5
No journal entries for this day yet.