Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve · Idaho

Spatter Cones Trail

0.1 mi of trail, end to end · Visit the Spatter Cones: 0.1 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · 6,023 ft–6,031 ft · asphalt surface · trail class Highly Developed · hiking · seasonal

6,030 ft 6,023 ft · 0.0 mi high 6,030 ft

Trailheads North Crater Trailhead 6,054 ft Drive there · Snow Cone Trailhead 6,037 ft Drive there · Spatter Cones Trailhead 6,031 ft Drive there

Visit the Spatter Cones 0.1 mi round trip · the Park Service's write-up

10-15 Minutes · no dogs · Spring, Summer, Fall

Start Spatter Cones Parking Area

a person walking on a paved path up to a small volcanic cone
The Spatter Cones are one of the shortest stops along the Loop Road. Photo: NPS Photo / Jacob W Frank

Trail length: 0.1 mile (0.16 km) round-trip

For those short on time, the Spatter Cones provide an intimate look into some of the park's smallest volcanoes. From the parking area, two short trails can be accessed to view these formations; Spatter Cone and Snow Cone. Only the trail to Snow Cone is wheelchair accessible.

For your safety and to protect fragile lava formations, off-trail travel is not permitted at the Spatter Cones or Big Craters areas.

Pets Pets are not allowed on any trails or in caves. Lava rocks are rough and jagged. The surface of the dark rocks and asphalt can reach 150°F (65°C) or more in the summer and quickly burns paws. Pets should never be left unattended in vehicles or the campground. Parking areas do not have shade and air temperatures can exceed 90°F (32°C) in the middle of summer.

Accessibility Only Snow Cone Trail is fully accessible. The trail to the larger Spatter Cone is a 0.1 mile (0.16 km) round-trip walk and not wheelchair accessible. The trail is paved but uneven, narrow, and features short, steep inclines, steep drop-offs, no railing, and sharp rocks that may present a tripping hazard. Water or ice may present an additional slipping hazard. SNOW CONE TRAIL INFORMATION: TRAIL LENGTH: 0.1 mile (0.16 km) round-trip CUMULATIVE ELEVATION CHANGE: Negligible TYPICAL GRADE: 6.9° (4%) 13% of trail has a grade above 8% Standard wheelchair ramp is 8% TYPICAL CROSS SLOPE: 1° (2.1%) TYPICAL TREAD WIDTH: 74 in (188 cm) MINIMUM TREAD WIDTH: 71 in (180 cm) TRAIL SURFACE: Concrete 100% of trail is paved OBSTRUCTIONS: None

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

Other trails from the same trailheads

All 17 trails in Craters Of The Moon National Monument & PreserveFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.