Continuing down Chain of Craters Road during our February 2014 visit to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, our next stop was on the right around mile 1.5 at Ko'oko'olau Crater. There is some evidence that this crater might have been a vent at one point as there are some mounds of pumice at the top of the crater. Both the mounds and the crater are barely visible due to the forest that grows within and around the crater. The crater is approximately 100 feet deep and 300 feet wide. Several of the older trees seem to have died, possibly due to heat rising from the crater floor in past years. However, the younger trees and ferns are quickly filling in the understory.
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| Civilian Conservation Corps stonework |
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| Many of the larger trees within the pit crater seem to have died... |
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| ...while the ferns seem to be thriving |
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| 1958 US Geological Survey marker, elevation 3521 feet |
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.
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