Kïlauea Iki Trail - Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Our February 2014 visit to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park continued with a hike on the Kïlauea Iki Trail.  This four mile loop trail follows the crater rim and then drops down into the crater before climbing back to the starting point.  Since we had already parked at the Thurston Lava Tube parking area on Crater Rim Drive, we chose to start the hike from there instead of ½ mile north at the Kïlauea Iki Overlook.  We followed the suggestion of a ranger and the guide book and hiked in a counter-clockwise direction.  We headed west on the north side of the crater until we were almost across from Pu'u Pua'i, the cinder and spatter cone, before heading northwest as we descended Waldron Ledge.  From the base of Waldron Ledge, we hiked southwest across Byron Ledge before descending into the western end of Kïlauea Iki.  We crossed the floor of the crater by following the ahu or stacked rocks and ascended the eastern rim by way of a series of switchbacks to return to our starting point.  The trail starts and ends at an elevation of approximately 4000 feet with a descent and ascent of over 400 feet.  The park service rates the trail as moderate to challenging, but it didn't seem that difficult.  The trail through the rainforest along the rim is easy and most of the descent was also easy.  The final part of the descent over jagged lava was a bit more difficult as you have to keep looking at the path for footing while wanting to look around at the sights.  This is likely where the "challenging" rating applies.  The hike across the frozen lava lake from the 1959 eruption was also fairly easy as there are numerous ahu or stacked rocks to mark the trail.  The climb back up the eastern rim was moderate with the immediate shade of the rain forest providing relief from the sun.

Until November 1959, Kïlauea Iki was an 800 foot deep crater covered with vegetation typical of the Hawaiian rain forest.  On November 14, 1959 the volcano began erupting from a series of vents on the south side of the western end of the crater.  The eruption took place in 17 episodes over 37 days.  It raised the floor level of the crater by a maximum of about 450 feet before some of the lava flowed back into the vent leaving the surface 400 feet higher than before the eruption.  The eruption spewed fountains of lava up to 1,900 feet in the air and created Pu'u Pua'i, the cinder and spatter cone on the southwest flank of the crater.  Through core drilling, scientists determined that approximately 35 years elapsed before all of the lava in the lake solidified.  Steam from rainwater is still emitted from many of the fissures in the surface floor of the crater nearly 55 years after the eruption.  The surface continues to subside by about ¾ inch per year.

Trail route

Trail profile (counter-clockwise from the Thurston Lava Tube parking area)

The light gray path of the Kïlauea Iki Trail is visible from the overlook

The trail leads through the rain forest

Continuing through the rain forest on the north rim

Raised terraces were likely remnants of cinder and spatter blocks that slid off of Pu'u Pua'i 

Looking across the crater toward the 50 foot high "bathtub ring" of frozen lava

A well-maintained trail through the rain forest

This deep crack formed during the collapse of Kïlauea Iki about 500 years ago

Pu'u Pua'i (gushing hill) with vent hole in the middle

Looking across Byron Ledge toward Halema'uma'u Crater inside the summit caldera

Trail begins the descent of Waldron Ledge

Trail descends from Byron Ledge into the crater by way of a series of switchbacks

A rather steep switchback along the descent from Byron Ledge

The trail crosses lava slides and spatter as it enters the crater

Uneven surface of the western end of the crater

Dense vegetation abruptly ends at the edge of the lava

Spatter, cinders and landslides from Pu'u Pua'i create very uneven footing off the trail

Thousands of footsteps have left a visible path

One of several landslides from the steep flank of Pu'u Pua'i

The trail descends through the 50 foot high "bathtub ring" after leaving the
spatter and cinder terrain of the western end of the crater

The landslides in this area have been submersed in liquid lava leaving a smoother surface

The main vent for the 1959 eruption

One of several large cracks throughout the crater

Piles of rocks or ahu mark the trail over the frozen surface of the lava lake

Large ripples possibly caused by landslides from Pu'u Pua'i resemble arctic frost heaves

Life gains a foothold in the sheltered, damp surface cracks

More landslides from Pu'u Pua'i

Lava slabs tipped over like giant dominoes

Steam continues to rise out of one of the landslide terraces

This portion looks like a highway paving project gone horribly wrong

Steam rises out of the uneven ground

Lighter streaks are the result of calcium sulfates and silica being carried to the surface by the steam

Steam wafts out of a small crack

Looking back toward Pu'u Pua'i on the left and Byron Ledge in the center

Ferns growing in a sheltered alcove

Leaving the crater floor, the trail immediately enters the rain forest...

...and climbs stone steps...

...before entering a series of switchbacks...

...that seem to go on...

...and on...

...and on

An entrance fee of $10 provides a seven-day pass to visit the park.  Other entrance options include the Hawai`i Tri-park Annual Pass for $25 for twelve month access to three parks in Hawai'i, an America the Beautiful Annual Pass for $80 for twelve months access to most national parks and forests or a Senior Pass for a one-time fee of $10 for those age 62 or over for access to most national parks and forests.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.