Hi there!
As it goes in Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho, there are a number of caves that you can go into!
These Craters of the Moon caves are lava tubes.
This means that the caves were formed as a result of volcano activity and lava flowing through underground, which eventually formed the cave.
The Indian Tunnel in Craters of the Moon is one such Idaho lava tube that you can walk into.
You’ll be going down stairs to get into the cave. Once down there, you’ll walk through the “tunnel” and come out of the cave at the other end!
You’ll never be in true darkness when going inside the Indian Tunnel, as there are a number of openings up top as you walk through the tunnel that let light in.
👆 Exiting the cave. Spot the person!
Watch the Indian Tunnel video on youtube!
Walking the Caves Trail
You will find the Indian Tunnel directly at one end of the Caves Trail.
Even if you decide that you’d rather not go into the cave, the Caves Trail is worthy as an above-the-ground activity as you can take a walk with lava fields all around you.
Lava fields are areas where you can find a vast “field” of old lava flows.
And, know that any cave in Craters of the Moon that you walk into is considered to be a wild cave!
This means that there are dangers associated with going into Indian Tunnel.
That said, if you are reasonably physically active and as long as you are reasonably careful, watch your step, and bring along adequate lighting, then the Indian Tunnel does not have any extreme risks.
But still, it’s nature, and things can happen unexpectedly.
So, take care!
👆 Indian Tunnel is a wild cave. Beware of the hazards. This includes unstable footing, falling rocks, low ceilings, and dark areas.
👆 After exiting the Indian Tunnel on the other end, you’ll end up on the natural lava flows aka not paved. There are deep holes and dangerous pit openings across the lava field as you walk back to the paved trail. Watch your step!
According to the National Park Service:
Enough sunlight enters this cave through openings in the roof to allow travel without a flashlight.
The large size of the tube allows you to walk comfortably through most of its length.
If you are willing to scramble over a large rock pile and climb through a small opening, you can exit this cave at the far end.
Follow the rock cairns with posts across the lava to return to the paved trail.
Officially, the National Park Service rates the difficulty of Indian Tunnel as easy.
You need a cave permit for Indian Tunnel
You are supposed to get a Craters of the Moon cave permit before going into any cave in Craters of the Moon.
This means that you need a cave permit for the Indian Tunnel in Craters of the Moon.
As of 2021, the cave permits are free and they are easy to get.
It is just a matter of stopping by the visitor center to get one after answering a few questions. Or, you can get one when at the Craters of the Moon park entry booth.
The purpose in requiring a cave permit is basically to quickly educate you about bats… and so you can help save the bats from disease.
There is a disease that has killed millions of bats.
This disease is thought to be spread by humans who bring in the disease after visiting different caves.
Bats are considered to be an important part of the ecosystem so it is said to be important to care about their well-being… and to try to prevent the death of bats by the millions.
Currently, this disease is not known to exist in Craters of the Moon, and the Craters of the Moon park rangers would like to keep it that way… and need your help!
So if you have been in any other cave in the past 15 years (yes really – I was asked about the past FIFTEEN YEARS by one park ranger!) then you are asked not to wear anything in a Craters of the Moon cave that you wore into another cave… and further it would be even better to not take anything into a Craters of the Moon cave that you took into another cave.
Likewise, after you have gone into the Craters of the Moon tunnel, you’re asked not to wear anything that you wore then into another cave anywhere in the world.
Take a full-body picture of yourself inside the Indian Tunnel!
What to pack for Indian Tunnel
You will want to be wearing good shoes for going into Indian Tunnel.
Long pants can be a good idea for added layers to protect your skin in case you slip and fall onto the rocky surface.
It will also be helpful to bring a flashlight or headlamp for the Indian Tunnel.
Although the Indian Tunnel is listed as not needing your own lighting, it is will still be good to bring it.
While you’ll never be in true darkness in the Indian Tunnel, there are darker areas of the tunnel where a light can be nice to shine a light on your footing.
There are some spots in the tunnel that the natural light doesn’t come through as much.
And with the uneven terrain through the cave tunnel, it can be safer to use your own flashlight through those spots.
A flashlight will also be especially helpful if you’re going at a time when it’s cloudy out or when the sun isn’t as high to let light in through the top (like late afternoon or evening) when it can seem darker in the cave tunnel.
More below about a walk through Indian Tunnel!
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Now…
See a lava tube in Idaho: Caves Trail to Indian Tunnel
So there one main road that goes along the main attractions of Craters of the Moon National Monument.
And it’s along the main road that you’ll find a turn off of the main road for the caves area. You’ll see a sign for it. The Indian Tunnel is located in this cave area.
So once you arrive at the Caves Trail parking lot, you can start the walk on Caves Trail! This is a paved path through lava fields.
Then after around 10 minutes of walking, maybe less, you’ll see the first cave opening. This is the Dewdrop Cave.
If you have time, then take a climb down into this cave. It’s a small area once you are in the cave. This can be your little intro to Craters of the Moon caving.
Then just past the Dewdrop Cave is where you’ll see an intersection where the trail goes in 2 directions. You’ll follow the sign to Indian Tunnel.
From this point on, the Caves Trail will lead straight to the cave entrance for Indian Tunnel! Along this part of the trail, it’s basically a dead end at the Indian Tunnel cave entrance.
If you walk directly from the Caves Trail parking lot to Indian Tunnel, it might be around a 15 minute walk one way.
And then you can take the stairs down into the tunnel in Craters of the Moon!
And then you will just continue walking all the way to the other end of the tunnel!
The final part of getting out of the tunnel is a climb up to get out of the tunnel to see full daylight again!
👆 Spot the hole to come out of Indian Tunnel!
Once you’re out of the tunnel at the other end, you’ll find yourself surrounded by lava fields!
I spent around 30 minutes in total hiking through the Indian Tunnel.
Once you are out of the tunnel, you’ll look for the trail posts to get you back onto the Caves Trail!
For this, you will be hiking directly on top of the old lava flows! This will loop you back to where you started the hike down into the Indian Tunnel.
Once you’ve made it back to the paved trail, you can to hike to another cave!
To feel like you are inside a cave like you imagine a cave to be, you’ll want to look at hiking into the Boy Scout Cave or Beauty Cave! Once you’re deeper inside the cave, it will feel like you’re in true darkness!
And that’s a bit about a stop to go into an Idaho lava tube tunnel at Craters of the Moon!
Plan more of your trip to Craters of the Moon:
- List of Craters of the Moon lava tubes
- Best things to do in Craters of the Moon
- Craters of the Moon campground
Plan more of your trip to Idaho and Wyoming:
Explore more volcanoes around the US:
- Wild caving in a Hawaii lava tube
- Where to see old lava flows in Hawaii
- Black sand beaches in Hawaii (These beaches are black as a result of the volcano activity)
HAPPY GOING THROUGH THE INDIAN TUNNEL LAVA TUBE!
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