Idaho

Idaho is a state of lava fields, granite spires and high mountain valleys. It holds four National Park Service sites of its own and a small corner of Yellowstone. The busiest of Idaho's own four, Craters of the Moon, had 260,418 recreation visits in 2025.

The state splits in two, a Mountain Time south around Boise and a Pacific Time north that is closer to Spokane than to Boise. We read the figures below on 27 October 2026 on the National Park Service's pages, Idaho Power's, the airports', the state transport department's and NOAA's normals.

What do Idaho's four Park Service sites show?

Idaho's four Park Service sites are a lava field, a granite climbing area, a fossil bed and a wartime camp. Only Craters of the Moon charges to get in. The Park Service's list for Idaho also names Yellowstone, Nez Perce National Historical Park and four national trails.

Craters of the Moon's most recent volcanic activity was about 2,100 years ago, and the Park Service calls the volcanic field dormant, not extinct. Visitors can see Hagerman's fossils only at the Thousand Springs Visitor Center, one mile north of downtown Hagerman on US-30, which is free. Minidoka's 1.6-mile walking trail stays open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.

Hells Canyon, on the Oregon line, falls under the Forest Service rather than the Park Service. The Bureau of Land Management gives the Hells Canyon Wilderness as 217,927 acres, about 83,811 of them in Idaho. The Snake River splits it, with the Seven Devils range on the Idaho side.

Why does Idaho's road to Yellowstone end in Montana?

Idaho's road to Yellowstone ends in Montana because none of the park's five entrances is in Idaho. The Park Service puts just 1% of the park inside the state. The Idaho approach is US-20 from Idaho Falls through Island Park to the West Entrance at West Yellowstone, Montana. Our routing makes it about 108 miles and two hours.

The West Entrance road was open to cars from 17 April to 31 October 2026. From 1 November the Idaho approach no longer reaches the park by car. In season the drive from the gate to Madison Junction averages 30 minutes, by the park's own figures. Bus service from Idaho to West Yellowstone runs only in the summer months.

Yellowstone is on the 2026 list with a $100 surcharge for each non-resident, on top of $35 a car for seven days. Two adults from abroad pay $235. The West Entrance Station takes cash or cards, and drivers need no vehicle reservation. Everything else about the park, from the geyser basins to winter travel, is in our Yellowstone National Park guide.

Why does Craters of the Moon stop charging in winter?

Craters of the Moon stops charging because no entrance fee is due whenever its Loop Road is not fully open to cars. The road usually closes by mid-November and does not usually reopen to vehicles until mid-April, and in winter it becomes a groomed trail for skiing and snowshoeing.

The rest of the year a private vehicle pays $20 for seven days, a motorcycle $15 and a person on foot or by bike $10. The booth and the automated fee machine take cards only; cash works only for a voucher bought at the visitor centre. Craters of the Moon is not on the 2026 surcharge list, and neither are City of Rocks, Hagerman or Minidoka.

The park's own pages disagree on the drive. One calls it a 7-mile Loop Road; the FAQ says "nine miles round-trip", about 30 minutes at the wheel. Most visitors spend two to four hours. The entrance is on US-20/26/93, 18 miles southwest of Arco and 24 miles northeast of Carey. Navigate to 1266 Craters Loop Road, because the park warns that GPS can send drivers onto unpaved roads.

On 7 October 2026 the Lava Flow Campground was open at $8 a night for the late season, without water. Its normal rate is $15, for 42 first-come sites, by card only. Our guide to national park fees for international visitors explains when the $250 annual pass pays off.

Do you need a permit for the caves at Craters of the Moon?

The caves at Craters of the Moon need a free permit, issued only in person at the visitor centre during business hours. All adults in the group must be present, and an America the Beautiful pass does not count as one.

The permit comes with screening for white-nose syndrome. Anything worn or carried in another cave or mine stays outside, "even if it has been washed". The fungus was confirmed in Idaho in 2022 but has not been detected at Craters of the Moon.

On the park's conditions page, last updated on 7 October 2026, only Indian Tunnel and Dewdrop Cave, both at the Caves Area, were open. Buffalo Caves, Boy Scout Cave and Beauty Cave are permanently closed. The caves open in summer once the ice melts from their entrances and close in late autumn when conditions turn icy or snowy.

How do you reach City of Rocks from Boise or Salt Lake City?

Drivers reach City of Rocks from I-84 at exit 216, Declo, then ID-77 and the ID-77 Spur to the visitor centre in Almo. No public transport goes there, and the Park Service says most visitors fly into Salt Lake City or Boise.

By the park's own figures City of Rocks is 85 miles from Twin Falls, 170 from Salt Lake City and 215 from Boise. Our routing makes Salt Lake City to Almo about 165 miles, three and a half hours. The reserve is closer to Salt Lake City, in Utah, than to Boise. City of Rocks charges no entrance fee; Castle Rocks State Park next door charges $7 per vehicle per day.

City of Rocks is busiest in late spring and autumn rather than midsummer. June was its busiest month in 2025, with 15,109 visits, and July dipped to 10,735 before autumn picked up again.

When is Shoshone Falls worth the detour?

Shoshone Falls is worth the detour in spring, when the flow is at its strongest. Irrigation and dry weather greatly reduce the flow in summer and autumn, so a late-summer visit can find much less water.

Idaho Power, which runs the hydro project at the falls, puts them at 212 feet, "higher than Niagara Falls". The City of Twin Falls owns the park and charges a "small per-vehicle entry fee". The city's own website did not answer on 27 October 2026, so we give neither the amount nor the dates the fee applies.

The park is for day use only, off Falls Avenue about three miles northeast of Twin Falls. Our routing puts it about 6 miles from the town centre. Hagerman Fossil Beds is about 35 miles from Twin Falls by I-84.

How do Sun Valley and the Sawtooths fit on ID-75?

Sun Valley and the Sawtooths sit about an hour and a half apart on ID-75. Our routing puts Ketchum, by Sun Valley, 61 miles from Stanley over Galena Summit.

Sun Valley's ski mountain, Bald Mountain, rises to 9,150 feet with 3,400 vertical feet, 2,533 skiable acres and 12 lifts. The resort says it reopens for the 2026–27 season on 26 November 2026. Its mountain report of 26 October showed no lifts open.

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area holds "an estimated 750 miles of trails", in the Forest Service's own words. Outlet Campground at Redfish Lake sits at 6,500 feet, within a quarter mile of the Redfish Lake Visitor Center. Its average summer high is 78°F, the low 40°F. Redfish Lake Lodge rents boats and runs lake tours and a shuttle.

From Boise, our routing reaches Stanley in about 133 miles and three and a quarter hours. That route uses ID-21, a mountain road whose winter status we could not confirm. The route through Ketchum is longer, about 214 miles.

Which half of Idaho is on Pacific Time?

The northern half of Idaho is on Pacific Time: federal rules draw the line along the main channel of the Salmon River. North of it, Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint, Moscow and Lewiston keep Pacific Time, like Washington. The south, with Boise, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Ketchum, Stanley and Craters of the Moon, is on Mountain Time, like Montana and Wyoming.

Driving from Boise to Coeur d'Alene puts the clock back an hour. Our routing makes the trip about 379 miles and more than eight hours. The north and the south are separate trips, and the north is served from Spokane, Washington, whose airport is 39 miles from Coeur d'Alene. Both halves observe daylight saving time, which ended on 1 November 2026.

Should you fly into Boise, Idaho Falls or Spokane?

Boise is the main airport for southern Idaho, with eight airlines and nonstop flights to 30 destinations, all of them in the United States. A visitor from abroad connects through a hub on that list, such as Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Atlanta or Chicago.

• Boise: Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Sun Country and United, with one-stop connections to more than 350 cities.
• Idaho Falls: the Park Service lists it among Yellowstone's gateway airports with commercial flights all year.
• Hailey: Friedman Memorial, the airport for Sun Valley, 60 miles from Craters of the Moon by the park's figures.
• Spokane, Washington: seven airlines and nonstop flights to more than 20 US destinations, for Coeur d'Alene and the north.

The distances are our own routing between town centres, not official figures. In Boise itself, the Boise River Greenbelt is a 29-mile pathway along both banks of the river, open from sunrise to sunset.

How cold do Stanley's nights get compared with Boise's?

Stanley has the coldest nights of the four stations below. NOAA counts 60 nights a year at or below 0°F there, against about one in Boise. Even in July, Stanley's average low is 34°F, while Boise has about 55 days a year at 90°F or above.

The table gives NOAA's 1991 to 2020 average highs and lows. At Craters of the Moon snow can last into early May, and the wildflowers peak from mid- to late June. In summer the lava surface can reach 170°F. Fog is common there in autumn and winter, and freezing fog can lie along the highway.

The Idaho Transportation Department runs over 400 snowplows on about 13,000 lane miles, and posts conditions and closures on Idaho 511. Check it before any winter drive over the mountain passes.

Why does this page give no Idaho sales-tax rate?

Idaho's state sales-tax and lodging-tax rates are missing here because the state's tax website refused our connections on 27 October 2026. So did every other idaho.gov address. We print rates only from the source that sets them, so the state figures are left out until we can read them.

One local rate could be confirmed. Sun Valley adds its own 4% local option tax, separate from the state tax. It applies to stays of under 30 days, food and drink, rentals and event admission. The city charges 3% on other retail and 2% on ski lift tickets. Our guide to sales tax in the USA explains why prices are shown before tax.