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Volcanoes in Idaho

20 volcanoes in Idaho with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Lincoln County has the most (4). The darkest skies are at The Crater (Bortle 1).

Top volcanoes

Volcano
Alexander CraterCaribou County
Volcano
Big CratersButte County
Volcano
Black Butte CraterLincoln County
Volcano
Black Ridge CraterLincoln County
Volcano
The Blow OutLincoln County
Volcano
Bowl CraterBlaine County
Volcano
Butte CraterFremont County
Volcano
Cottrells BlowoutPower County
Volcano
Crater RingsElmore County
Volcano
The CraterClark County
Volcano
The CraterLincoln County
Volcano
Crater HoleOwyhee County

Volcanoes by county

All volcanoes (20)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Alexander CraterCaribou County1,756 mSoda Springs3
Big CratersButte County1,816 mBellevue1
Black Butte CraterLincoln County1,419 mShoshone2
Black Ridge CraterLincoln County1,409 mShoshone2
The Blow OutLincoln County1,426 mBellevue1
Bowl CraterBlaine County1,655 mHailey1
Butte CraterFremont County1,968 mSaint Anthony1
Cottrells BlowoutPower County1,566 mAberdeen2
Crater RingsElmore County899 mMountain Home3
The CraterClark County1,737 mSaint Anthony1
The CraterLincoln County1,334 mPaul2
Crater HoleOwyhee County1,614 mTwin Falls1
Echo CraterButte County1,715 mHailey1
Horse ButtePower County1,539 mAberdeen2
Morgan CraterClark County1,932 mSaint Anthony1
North CraterButte County1,898 mBellevue1
The PotholeCamas County1,576 mGooding2
Snowdrift CraterBlaine County1,665 mBellevue1
Winters BlowoutPower County1,452 mAberdeen2
Cinder PitBingham County1,482 mMoreland2

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph volcanoes

Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.

  • Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
  • Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
  • Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
  • Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.

Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.