On December 20, 1951, EBR-I became the first power plant to generate electricity from atomic energy. Alongside volcanic landscapes, hiking trails, and seasonal winter activities, this date reflects the unusual variety of themes you can explore during a stay in Butte County. When planning your trip, it helps to choose a clear focus: Arco is about architecture, event venues, and a museum; for the landscape, the key considerations are geology, terrain, and season.
Hiking Trails, Caves, and Winter Activities
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve offers a variety of scenic hiking trails. In winter, the Loop Road is regularly groomed for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, usually starting in January. If you’re planning a trip for these activities, you can time your visit to the season and include winter offerings in your daily plans.
Indian Tunnel and Dewdrop Cave are also open seasonally. Access depends on snow, ice, and conditions in the park. These restrictions are important for planning: hiking trails and winter offerings complement the nature theme, while the caves have their own season-dependent visiting window.
Appendicitis Hill Wilderness Study Area offers opportunities for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, photography, climbing, and taking in the views. Its steep, rugged terrain makes these activities challenging. If you’re weighing different things to do, this terrain is a key difference from the trails at Craters of the Moon. Appendicitis Hill itself lies between the watersheds of Antelope Creek and Big Lost River.
Geology and Landscape Scale
White Knob Mountains Wilderness Study Area encompasses nearly 10,000 acres of public land in Idaho and reaches an elevation of 7,955 feet. Big Southern Butte is one of the largest rhyolite domes in the world. These landscape features offer different points of interest: White Knob stands out for its area and elevation, while Big Southern Butte is notable for the exceptional size of a geological formation.
History and Architecture in Arco
Arco Baptist Community Church, at the corner of West Grand Avenue and Blaine Street in Arco, is an excellent local example of an adaptation of the Romanesque style. Locally available, irregularly shaped lava rock was used for its facade. The church offers a concrete example of how an architectural style can be combined with a locally available building material.
Butte County Grandstands were built in 1938 with a grant from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). They host high school rodeos, the Atomic Days Rodeo, and the local county fair; ATV races have also been added more recently. Event offerings may change over time. A 2019 report describes Atomic Days as having been celebrated on the third weekend of July since 1982. If you’re planning for future dates, confirm the event date locally.
Arco Idaho Science Center is a museum at 302 W Grand Ave. Public opening hours are seasonal. If you’re interested in local culture, you can include architecture, event venues, and the museum as distinct topics in your trip plans, without combining them into a single visit itinerary.
Historic Route and Trip Planning
Goodale's Cutoff ran near present-day Arco and through the northern part of Craters of the Moon National Monument. The route is visible at many points along Highway 20/26/93 between Arco and Carey. This offers a distinct way to explore the region’s history: the route can be associated with both Arco and the northern part of the monument, without implying a particular driving loop.
If you’re looking for a hotel in Butte County, first decide whether you’d rather focus on history and architecture or on landscapes and outdoor activities. Travel dates are especially important for winter offerings and the seasonally open caves; for activities in Appendicitis Hill Wilderness Study Area, you should also take the challenging terrain into account.
Explore more destinations: Arco, Owyhee, Custer County, Bannock County, Canyon, Payette County, Nez Perce County, Ada.
For the broader travel overview: Idaho.
