Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - Crater Rim Drive (U.S. National Park Service)

Visitor Alert: A section of Crater Rim Drive and trails within Kilauea Caldera are closed due to elevated levels of sulfur dioxide gas and other hazards related to the new vent that opened within Halema‘uma‘u Crater in March 2008.

NPS

Koa trees frame a scenic view of Mauna Loa from Crater Rim Drive.

Follow Crater Rim Drive around a portion of the summit caldera, through rain forest and desert, and peer or hike into a crater that erupted just 50 years ago. There is access to scenic stops and short walks along the drive.

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 Volcano House hotel which was built in 1877. This former lodge hosted many 19th century visitors to Kilauea and is now a gallery for local artists and craftsmen.

Before starting out in your car, you may want to take an easy one-mile (roundtrip) hike on the Earthquake Trail. Early in the morning on November 16, 1983, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake shook a section of Crater Rim Drive into the caldera. Crater Rim Drive has been rerouted and the old cracked roadway is now a gentle paved walking trail that is suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. The trail begins at the exit of the Volcano House parking lot and offers fine views of Mauna Loa and Kilauea Caldera.

Protect yourself by heeding the warning signs and help us protect endangered nene.

Volcanic Fumes	Nene Protection
Heed warning signs. Fumes are hazardous to your health. Visitors with heart or breathing problems and infants, young children, and pregnant women are especially at risk and should avoid Halema`uma`u Crater, Sulfur Banks and other areas where volcanic fumes are present.	Nene (the Hawaiian goose) is an endangered species that needs your protection. Watch for nene on roads. Cars are the leading cause of adult nene deaths in the park. DO NOT FEED the nene. Nene that are fed by visitors learn to beg for food and approach moving cars.

The Crater Rim Drive 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. Take the Tour!