Lua Manu - Chain of Craters Road - Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Lua Manu is a small roadside pit crater approximately 0.4 miles from the beginning of Chain of Craters Road in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.  We stopped at the roadside pullout during our February 2014 visit to the park.  Pit craters are typically formed when the underground lava flow subsides removing the support from the rock above.  Over time, they expand from a cone shape with a narrow hole at the surface as additional rock falls in.  What makes Lua Manu interesting is that lava from the July 1974 eruption flowed into the pit to a depth of about 50 feet before mostly flowing out through a fissure in the side of the crater.  The 1974 eruption consisted of pāhoehoe or smooth, unbroken lava which flowed like a river.

Lua Manu is about 320 feet wide and about 80 feet deep

Hand rail from old overlook that was covered by the 1974 lava flow

Lava flowed over the rim and into the crater

A single roadside tree remains from the forest that was destroyed in the 1974 lava flow

1974 lava flow

Forest at the edge of the 1974 lava flow

Lava solidified around several trees before they burned to ash

Looking across the 1974 lava flow

View toward the source of the 1974 lava flow

Science in the park

A collapsed lava tube

The smooth lava river

Life returns

Lua Manu from the top of the lava flow

The pit of Lua Manu

The `ohi`a lehua is a pioneer plant on new lava 

More 'ohi'a

Another hole formed around a tree

The green lava contains the mineral olivine

Spider

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.