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Crater Rim Drive - Overview
The centerpiece of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the 11-mile
Crater Rim Drive that circles Kilauea's summit caldera. If
you only have a few hours in the park, this is a good way to hit
the main attractions.
While circling the
Kilauea cladera, this road passes through rainforest and desert, while
providing access to numerous well-marked scenic stops and short walks. On the drive around
the summit caldera, you will encounter sulphur banks, steam vents, pit
 craters, lava flows from eruptions in 1974 and 1982, areas recovering
from the cinder fallout of the 1959 eruption, a walk through an
underground lava tube, the Jaggar Museum, Halema'uma'u Crater,
Devastation Trail, Kilauea Iki Crater, and the Thurston Lava Tube.
 The
best place to start the tour is at the Kilauea Visitor Center. Films
shown throughout the day provide an introduction to the park and
volcanology. Ask at the information desk about ranger-guided walks,
hikes and other programs. Located nearby is the Volcano Art Center,
housed in the historic original Volcano House built in 1877. It hosted
many 19th century visitors to Kilauea and is now a gallery for local
artists and craftsmen.
 The
tour describes a counterclockwise trip around the Crater Rim, but,
Crater Rim Drive is a two way road, so you can go either way or stop
your trip midway and return.
Here are the highlights of this tour. At the Hawaii Volcano
 Observatory,
there is a dramatic scenic overlook with views of the Kilauea caldera.
Next door is the Jaggar Museum with informative displays about the
volcano and Hawaiian legends. Down the road is the Halemaumau
Crater. The short walk from the parking lot brings you to the
steep cliff's edge of this deep crater. Beyond this is the start
of the Devastation Trail. This trail offers a fascinating glimpse
into what happens when a forest is overrun by a volcanic eruption.
Continuing along the Crater Rim, you will come across the Thurston Lava
Tube and eventually the wonderful Kilauea
Iki Trail. Check out the Crater Rim tour on the
Volcanoes National Park
Official
Website
Update, 2008
A portion of Crater Rim Drive, between Jaggar Museum and the Chain of
Craters Road junction, is closed. Note: Chain of Craters Road remains
OPEN - there is NO access to lava from the end of the road, inside the
park. We recommend you still visit the Jaggar Museum for a view of
the new Halema'uma'u Vent and its large smoke plume (see above photo).
In the evening, it is possible to see a faint fireball effect at the
edge of the mouth of the vent -
see our blog for an photo of this phenomenon. For the
latest park closure information, visit the
official park website.
View Larger Map
Check out the
Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park Map to help you plan your trip.
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