Crater Rim Drive

Devastation Trail and Chain of Craters Road
Just one mile past Keanakako’i Crater Crater Rim Drive intersects Chain of Craters Road to the right. To the left is a road leading to the Devastation Trail parking lot. We will return to Chain of Craters later. For now, turn left into the parking lot. The half-mile Devastation Trail is a 10-15 minute walk that reaches from the parking lot to the Pu’u Pua’i Overlook further down the road. From this end you will begin your stroll along a paved path through an ohia jungle until suddenly the canopy opens to a stunning barren moonscape. In 1959 Kilauea Iki erupted spewing this portion of the trail with lava and incinerating the forest. Now a blanket of tephra (pumice) serves as a resting place for bleached ohia limbs. Little sprigs of life are working their way through the crusty surface in an attempt to rebuild the forest that once stood there. The trail continues to Pu’u Pua’i Overlook where you can turn around and head back the way you came or circle around and take Crater Rim Drive back to the parking lot.

Pu’u Pua’i Overlook
Pu’u Pua’i means “gushing hill” in Hawaiian, a name that is quite appropriate for this cinder cone. During a 1959 eruption in Kilauea Iki Crater, cinder and ash were shot into the air and blown to the southwest where the cinder cone was formed. From this overlook you can see into the Kilauea Iki crater and across to the Kilauea Iki Overlook.

Thurston Lava Tube
As we head toward Thurston Lava Tube you will notice the change in scenery from barren to lush jungle forest. The abundant rainfall in this region of the park feeds the tropical vegetation. Thurston Lava Tube is one of the main attractions in the park and congestion builds up from all the tour buses. If you get up early you might have the chance to experience it in relative privacy. About a mile from Pu’u Pua’i Overlook the lava tube has parking on the left side of the road with the entrance on the right.

Like veins leading from the central “heart” of the volcano, lava tubes direct molten earth toward the ocean. As the lava flows the outer crust begins to harden while the inner lava continues to flow. Once the flow stops, the tunnel formation remains. Thurston Lava Tube could date back some 350-500 years. You will take short trail through lush vegetation replete with tropical ferns and singing honeycreeper birds called Apapane. Cross a short bridge and you enter the damp dark world of a lava tube. Lit for safety, the tube is a fascinating experience that ends too quickly. When you reach daylight you have the opportunity to continue through a gated area into the un-lit portion of the cave if you so choose. Make sure to bring a strong flashlight! Restrooms are available near the entrance to the trail.

Kilauea Iki Overlook and Hike
Half a mile down the road on the left is the parking lot for Kilauea Iki Crater which is home to one of the most amazing lava eruptions in the park’s history. In November 1959 Kilauea Iki began gushing streams of incandescent orange lava. The glowing fountains of molten earth reached heights of 1,900 feet. At one point Kilauea Iki was a 414 ft. deep lake of bubbling lava.
As you stand at the overlook you can see a lightly-etched trail stretching across the crater floor. From your 400 ft high vantage point you might be able to see little specks walking the path: those are people. Kilauea Iki is an approximately four-mile loop that takes 2-3 hours. It skirts the rim of the crater, dips down and across the floor and back up to the overlook. You can either take the Crater Rim Trail to the right around the rim of Kilauea Iki and then down to the crater floor then back up the other side or go left and begin the hike with the descent into the crater. We prefer the first option simply because you can enjoy the beauty of the rim rainforest at the beginning of the hike and the ascent is slightly less arduous.

The portion of Crater Rim Trail that runs along the rim is a dense high-elevation jungle populated with flowering ohia trees and graceful ferns. If you are not in a hurry, take a few minutes to gaze overhead and you may catch a glimpse of the apapane. They are one of the most common Hawaii forest birds, but their deep red feathers and black beaks make them a beautiful sight. The apapane loves to flit from ohia blossom to ohia blossom drinking its nectar.

Gaps in the jungle cover reveal breathtaking views of the black crater floor, a stark contrast to the thriving forest. The trail descends into the crater with a mixture of stairs and steep terrain. Make sure you have applied plenty of sunblock because the sun seems much more intense on the exposed floor. Once you have reached the bottom a whole new alien landscape envelopes you. What looked like a pebble from the rim is now a massive pile of lava rock. Along the cliffs you can see a high water mark or literally a lava ring in the crater. Although you are walking across solid land, just below you molten earth still stirs.

If the elements are right, you may even see steam sneaking between the cracks and crevices – reminders that this volcano is still alive and breathing. The path back up the crater rim will branches off at to Thurston Lava Tube parking lot or you can continue on back to the Kilauea Iki overlook.

If you have a good day to spend and have the stamina, you can also hike to Kilauea Iki from the park visitor center on the Crater Rim Trail or the Byron Ledge Trail.
From here the rest of Crater Rim Drive is a gorgeous curvy road through lush vegetation until you read the park entrance. Next stop: Chain of Craters Road

Location: Crater Rim Drive is located in the Volcano Region

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