Hawai'i the Big Island - Hawaii - page 467

low will almost walk up to you. You'll also see lots of koa and ohia trees and pass a lava
tube where a unique species of big-eyed spider was discovered in 1973. Be aware that at
this elevation the weather can change quickly, so your sunny warm hike can quickly be-
come densely foggy and wet. To get there, turn off Crater Rim Dr onto Mauna Loa Rd
and it's signed to your right.
Kilauea Iki Trail HIKING
If you have time for only one hike, choose this one. It's the park's most popular trail for
good reason - it captures all the summit's drama and beauty in one manageable, moder-
ate 4-mile package, which can be done in an hour if you walk steadily. The trail's glossy
brochure ($2) is a good investment.
The loop trail has multiple start points and trail junctions (making the hike easy to ex-
pand). Park at Kilauea Iki Overlook ( Click here ) (avoiding the Thurston Lava Tube mad-
ness) and proceed counterclockwise along the crater rim. Passing through an ohia forest,
you can admire the mile-long lava bathtub below before descending into it.
After almost a mile you descend onto Waldron Ledge; multiple trail junctions allow
for quick explorations of the main caldera rim (highly recommended), or extend your
loop by connecting with the Halemaʻumaʻu and Byron Ledge Trails for an all-day adven-
ture. Either way, once you reach the west end of the crater, descend 400ft to the crater
floor.
Across the pahoehoe crust the trail is easy to follow, and ahu (rock cairns) aid naviga-
tion. It's possible to enter the vent beneath the Puʻu Puaʻi cinder cone, where ohia trees
now bloom. As you continue over the surface, consider that molten magma is a mere
230ft below (less than a football field). Once you reach the crater's east end, ascend
400ft up switchbacks to the rim, and explore Thurston Lava Tube on your return to the
Kilauea Iki Overlook.
Devastation Trail HIKING
MAP
One end of this trail is accessible from the lower terminus of Chain of Craters Rd, the
other from the Puʻu Puaʻi Overlook MAP further east. The trail is paved and passes
through the fallout area of the 1959 eruption of Kilauea Iki Crater, which decimated this
portion of the rainforest. This is a great trail to do on a guided ranger walk since, at first
glance, it's not half as dramatic as its name.
The overlook provides a fantastic vantage into the crater, and it's a quick walk to see
Puʻu Puaʻi, which formed during the eruption.