 | Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 14 |  |
Halema'uma'u changed greatly during the 20th century. In 1924 it was only 1,500 feet in diameter but was filled by a lake of molten lava that bubbled and boiled 2,100 degrees in Fahrenheit.
There is currently no red lava visible in the crater, but we have been told that it is only 300 feet below the surface. Who knows...it might be just a matter of time till this crater erupts again! Leave a Comment
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Halema'uma'u is the home of Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess of Hawaiian volcanoes. The ancient traditions are honored and practiced here by native Hawaiians. It is not unusual to see offerings to Pele, such as sacred Hawaiian plants, left on the rim of the crater. Please respect this area!
The Halema'uma'u Crater Overlook is a 10 minute walk from the parking area. From the overlook you look down directly into Pele's home. Leave a Comment
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Notice that parts of the old road are buried under Pu'u Pau'i. Close to Kilauea Iki's fountaining the lava pumice cinders were hot enough to weld themselves together into a spatter cone, Pu'u Pau'i, which means gushing hill.
Further downhill the falling cinders had cooled sufficeintly to form a blanket of cinders. The Pu'u Pua'i Overlook provides a fine look into the Kilauea Iki Crater. The gray line you see on the crater floor is the Kilauea Iki Trail. Leave a Comment
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The Devastation Trail is a hiking trail that goes through an area that was once a forest filled with trees and greenery. It was destroyed in the 1959 eruption at the Kilauea Iki Crater and is still recovering. When walking on the trail you can see the transition from barren area filled with volcanic material, to a lush, dense forest full of life. It was quite a contrast! While walking on the Devastation Trail we saw a bunch of pits. There were yellow and red marks in them indicating the presence of sulfur and cider. The pits were created along a crack in the surface that was created during the Kilauea Iki eruption. Leave a Comment
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There were yellow and red marks in them indicating the presence of sulfur and cider. The pits were created along a crack in the surface that was created during the Kilauea Iki eruption.
At that trail you'll find a turn off to the Pu'u Pau'i Overlook. On most days the strong trade winds make it easy to see how the cone was built during the high (about 580 meters!) lava fountaining in 1959. Notice that parts of the old road are buried under Pu'u Pau'i. Close to Kilauea Iki's fountaining the lava pumice cinders were hot enough to weld themselves together into a spatter cone, Pu'u Pau'i, which means gushing hill. Leave a Comment
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Hilina Pali Road leads to Kipuka Nene campground, sweeping vistas of the coast, and several backcountry trails.
All overnight backcountry hikers must register at the vistors center prior to their trip. Leave a Comment
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There is nothing "off the beaten" path, and most of the accessible area is well trodden. Stop along your drive to the volcano site to marvel at the sulfur pits ... I think it just amazing how something so beautiful can smell so BAD! Leave a Comment
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According to Hawaiian legend, Pele's first home was Kauai, the oldest island in the chain, but the goddess of the sea chased Pele from iland until she finally came to rest in Halema'uma' Crater, in Kilauea Caldera, where she still resides today. Leave a Comment
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Enroute to Punalu'u (Black Sand Beach) we passed by the Orchid Gardens nursery in Anthurium Farms. Aren't these orchids just beautiful & unique? Leave a Comment
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During our last visit (Sept. 2002), we went to the end of Chain of Craters Road in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park before sunrise on two consecutive mornings. The lava was right there crossing the end of the road. This made it so easy. On our previous trip (last year) we had an arduous 2.5 mile hike across the old fields to get to the fresh stuff. My wife, because of her short stature, had a tough time with it. Now it was right there at the end of the road.....wheelchair accessible and all! :)
This is an infrared "nightshot". The hotspots really show. The view at night from the road looking back up the slopes really was spectacular. You could see uphill for 5 or 6 miles and the orange glow of the surface flows all the way down to the sea. After daylight, all you see is a lighter grey color on the fresh flows and only the reddish-orange close up.
More photos and details in my travelogue.
For some awesome photos of the lava and current lava flow updates, go to Arnott's Lodge's website.
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