When in Arco, you can literally camp on the moon. Visitors can camp on the moon like the Apollo astronauts did to train for the moon landing. Arco is home to the Craters of the Moon national monument. Take your sleeping bags, your tent, mountain bike, and get ready to camp in an environment like no other place on earth.
Camping in Craters
The landscape at Craters of the moon is desolate, inhospitable, and uninhabitable—it’s awe-inspiring, breathtaking scenery is a catacomb of shards, black spires, and heat waves wafting over miles of ancient lava beds, sparsely growing juniper and sage. Pitch your tent in small clearings among cathedral-like volcanic spires and knife-like protrusions of lava.
Cycling the Craters
The Craters of the Moon, as inhospitable as it sounds is really user-friendly if you stay on the trails. From the seat of a bicycle, starting from camp, ride blacktop that winds for miles through the desolate scenery. Just make sure to pack adequate water with you, and a map. It’s also a good idea to carry a backpack with a small picnic lunch containing bananas, apples, cheese, bread, wheat crackers, granola bars, and maybe something like butterscotch pudding cups. There are campsites with tables, or you can just rough it on some of the smoother boulders beside the trail that have allowances for climbing on them.
Spelunking and Hiking
Craters of the Moon national monument is dotted with caves. If you decide to go cave exploring, make sure to wear proper headgear, take a flashlight, and watch out for bats. Some of them are natural ice caves, which provide a wonderful diversion when the temperatures are soaring in the lava beds. Get a map at the headquarters and drive your car to many of these caves. If you want to backpack, there are also trails that allow the backpacker to access the interior of the craters of the moon, or hike to the top of a volcano.
Ghost Town Ruins
A few miles north of Arco, on Highway 93, you will come to the small town of Mackey. Camp just outside Mackey, and climb up about four miles to explore one of many old ghost town mining sights. These old buildings have been untouched since being built in 1900. Step back in time in these deserted ruins. Make sure to take plenty of water with you on your bike, and be careful on the way back down. While you’re up there, you can also revel in the shadow of Mt. Borah. At almost 13,000 feet, it’s the highest peak in Idaho.
Considerations
Camping around Arco is one of the most unique places in the world. If you decide to camp there, remember that the altitude is 5,328 feet above sea level. You get sunburned easy at this elevation and the air is thinner. One other note, Arco was the first city in the world to be powered with nuclear power in 1955—but don’t’ forget to take your lantern.
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