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Morning
Crater Rim Drive
Kilauea Visitor
Center - Steam Vents – Kilauea overlook – Jaggar Museum –
Halemau’mau Crater
overlook - Devastation Trail - Thurston Lava Tube –
Kilauea Iki
The best place to start your adventure
is at the Kilauea Visitor Center.
Obtain information about Volcanism and the unique geology of the area, ask
about directions, learn the park’s regulations and then enjoy your first day
trip
circling Kilauea’s summit caldera.
Steam Vents:
Fumaroles without sulfur. The feeling of steams is like being in
a sauna.
Kilauea Overlook:
Peer down into Kilauea steaming caldera.
Jaggar Museum:
Take 30 minutes in this state-of-the-art teaching museum
and enhance your understanding of volcanic eruptions and the unique geology
of
the volcanic area.
Halemaumau Crater:
Home of the Fire Goddess Pele. Take a short one-
quarter mile trail to view the steaming pit and feel the magic of the earth
creation.
Devastation Trail:
One of the most photographed areas in the park.
Devastation Trail is a paved path through a forest area that was
devastated by
the 1959 Kilauea Iki eruption. Since the last eruption, Ohia trees and other
new vegetation have begun to regenerate from the ashes. Along the hiking trail,
you can find Pele’s hair, Pele’s tears, red ohelo berries, tree
molds, etc. This
fascinating hiking trip takes about 45 minutes.
Afternoon
Kilauea Iki Trail
Thurston Lava Tube:
Take twenty minutes to hike through this perfect Lava
Tube surrounded by beautiful tree ferns and native forest.
Kilauea Iki Overlook:
View Kilauea Iki (Little Kilauea)
Crater which last
erupted in 1959, when fountains of lava shot 1,900 feet into the air.
Kilauea Iki Trail (Little Kilauea): From Byron
Ledge, the Kilauea Iki Trail
descends into Kilauea Iki crater.
This 4 mile loop takes 2-3
hours to traverse. This area, once an Ohia forest
was devastated by an eruption from Kilauea Iki in 1959. Descending 400
feet through native Ohia forests, the trail
then crosses the floor of Kilauea
Iki Crater. The moon like environment of the crater
floor complete with
steaming vents truly is an exciting and unforgettable
experience. If you are
lucky, you may find delicious wild black berries to refresh you on
your hike
back up to the Crater Rim!
Return to Volcano House via the Crater Rim
Trail.
1959 Kilauea Iki Eruption
Courtesy National Park Service, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
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