Southern Idaho has three parks that don’t take a large amount of time to explore and have limited access for pets. All of these parks get a one paw rating. For more about my rating system check out National Park dogs.
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
Lava started welling up about 15,000 years ago from the Great Rift along the Snake River Plain to create the lava fields known as Craters of the Moon. There are no pet friendly trails and if there were the surface of the lava would shred paws quickly.
There is a 7 mile loop road with points of interest. Many of the stops have very short trails, 1/4 to 1/2 miles. Devils Orchard has a wheelchair accessible trail and even though it is paved, it also is not dog friendly. Just the drive is about half an hour plus the time you spend at each of the 7 stops.
Nine hiking trails allow further exploration of the park with four of them ranging from 0.1-0.5 miles. If weather permits these can be quickly explored by leaving your pet in your vehicle but don’t expect to find any shade in the parking lots. The longest trail is 8 miles.
Lava Flow Campground is open May-November. It can be found near the visitor center and is first-come only. None of the 42 sites have hookup but there is water. However the water may be turned off near either end of the open season depending on the weather. As the photo shows, the campground has little to no shade and the lava surface can be rough on paws.
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
The only place you will see fossils at Hagerman Fossil Beds is in the park headquarters in the town of Hagerman.
A short self guided driving tour follows the Oregon Trail along the southern section of the park. There are a couple of overlooks and trailheads along the way. The paved road will turn to dirt and continue farther north to a parking area and hiking trailhead. Pets are not allowed on any of the trails leaving few options for much besides the road tour.
Minidoka National Historic Site
Minidoka’s website confirmed that it is a good idea to check the website for any new changes. Literally while I was writing this post the website changed from saying that “pets are welcome to visit” to say that “pets are only allowed where cars can go”. At least this cleared up my confusion about pets being welcome but not allowed on the one trail. Basically they are not very welcome. Still, there are some places, which are paved, to stretch your dog’s legs and the site is an important, although dark, part in this country’s history.
