Aloha Loop - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 241

Local lore attributes such outbursts to Pele, the goddess of volcanoes, who is said to
dwellinKilaueaCalderaandisgiventosuddenfitsofrage.HerlegendaryhomeisinHale-
maumau crater at the summit of Kilauea. But geologists tell a more scientific, if less col-
orful, tale for the fires on view at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park—one of the few places
on Earth where visitors can drive right up to the rim of an active volcano. As magma (a
mixtureofmoltenrock,minerals,chemicals,andgases)risesfromdeepwithintheEarth,it
escapesthroughsurfacefissures,creatingdazzlingdisplaysofred-hotbrilliantcolorduring
these volcanic eruptions.
Leaving the visitor center, follow Crater Rim Drive for 11 miles as it encircles Kilauea
Caldera.StopsalongthewayincludetheJaggarMuseum,panoramicoverlooksofmultiple
craters,andshortwalkstosteamvents.Thehalf-mile-longDevastationTrailwindsthrough
what had been an ohia forest before a 1959 eruption devastated the area. At Thurston
(Nahuku) Lava Tube, thick tree ferns and ohia trees nearly engulf lava tunnels, leftovers
from an ancient flow.
Barren landscapes quickly give way to forested slopes as the loop draws to a close.
Descending 4,000 feet from volcanic marvels to a black lava shoreline, the drive reveals
more of the scenic diversity of Hawaii Island.