View of Kilauea Iki Crater on the way to Thurston Lava Tube
Trailhead from Thurston Lava Tube parking area
The trail guide and numbered markers starting at the Kilauea Iki parking lot show the hike in the counter-clockwise direction. We prefer hiking in the clockwise direction. Hiking clockwise, you encounter a long, 1.2-mile decent hiking down many switchbacks through a forest with little or no views at the begining of the hike. If you hike counter-clockwise you hike up these switchbacks at the end of the hike when you are tired. Most people we see hiking are also going clockwise, unless they picked up a trail guide at the Kilauea Iki parking lot!
Long way down from the rim to the crater floor at the start of the trail
Crater floor – hardened lava lake
The hike across the crater floor is awesome! You hike across a hardened lava lake on smooth terrain, the as you approach the cinder cone or volcainic vent, Pu’u Pua’i, parts of the lake have cracked and have been pushed upwards. After passing the cinder cone, you trek across jagged volcanic spatter from Pu’u Pua’a that was cemented toghether when it cooled; this is not a’a lava.
Pu’u Pua’i cinder cone
Hike across jagged volcanic spatter
The ascent to the rim on the other side is steeper (using stairs) but fairly short and not as high compared to the rim on the other side. At the top there are marked connections other trails: the Byron Ledge Trail and the Crather Rim (around Halemaumau) Trail. The hike back is along the Kiliauea Iki crater rim through a forested area with views and lookouts along the way!
Pu’u Pua’i with Halemaumau errupting in the background!
Remember to hike through the Thurston Lava Tube too!
More information on the Kilauea Iki erruption can be found here from the USGS website:
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