Broken Top Loop Trail – Buffalo Cave loop from Broken Top

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

United States

Idaho

Butte County

Broken Top Loop Trail – Buffalo Cave loop from Broken Top

Moderate

4.9

(2676)

19,935

hikers

Broken Top Loop Trail – Buffalo Cave loop from Broken Top

02:59

11.4km

90m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 3, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Craters of the Moon Wilderness

Craters of the Moon National Monument

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

39 m

Tree Molds Trail

Highlight • Trail

The 2-mile (roundtrip) Tree Molds Trail leads you through bushes and pine forests to the edge of the Blue Dragon Flow. Here, numerous trees were knocked over and ignited by …

Tip by

261 m

Broken Top Loop Trail

Highlight • Trail

On the 1.8-mile Broken Top Loop Trail, you can observe almost all the volcanic features of the basalt eruptions that created this unique landscape. With an elevation gain of just …

Tip by

1.10 km

Volcanic bombs

Highlight • Natural Monument

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_bomb

Tip by

2.99 km

Wilderness Trail

Highlight • Trail

Very few people venture into the backcountry of Craters of the Moon National Monument. So if you want to find real solitude in this moonlike landscape, take the Wilderness Trail …

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5.78 km

Echo Crater

Highlight • Volcano

The Wilderness Trail will lead you through a vast lava landscape to Echo Crater. This is a great location to spend the night in the backcountry. The only access into …

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10.5 km

Buffalo Cave

Highlight • Cave

The Buffalo Cave is a popular and easy to get to lava cave in Craters of the Moon National Monument. It was created when hot lava cooled down and left …

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11.0 km

Curved lava formation

Highlight • Natural Monument

When hot lava flew over the area and cooled down, it left some of the most amazing shapes – right here you can see the flow and different "waves" frozen in time by petrification.

Tip by

11.4 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

11.3 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

11.3 km

< 100 m