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After enjoying the sights on Crater Rim Drive head down to the most recent lava flows along Chain of Craters Road. This is a 38-mile round trip adventure that descends 3,700 feet to the coast to where a 2003 lava flow crossed the road. It takes approximately 1 hour to drive straight to the end of the road without stopping but plan on an additional 3-5 hour adventure because of all the scenic stops. Crater Rim Drive is accessible from Chain of Craters Road.

As you begin your journey down Chain of Craters Road the environment begins to change. You emerge from a Ohia tree filled rainforest area along Crater Rim Road and descend into the barren lava fields from the 1969-1974 lava flows then to the current lava flow. There are many scenic lookouts along the drive as well as several hiking trails. 

There are two types of lava - a'a (pronounced ah-ah) which is rough and sharp, and pahoehoe (pronounced pa-hoy-hoy) which is smooth and ropy. There are areas of hardened pahoehoe lava where you can see the twists and turns the lava took as it slowly moved across the land and cooled.

There are great treasures to be found while exploring seemingly barren lava fields. Lava is not always black, the color all depends on the minerals it is made up of. Hawaii's rock has a high iron content so the lava rock can take on many color shades just from the oxidation of the iron content. Some lava rock have a thin layer of iridescent glass which looks as beautiful as an opal. Some lava rock is so beautiful it is tempting not to take it home as a souvenir. Just remember many believe removing lava rock from Hawaii will bring bad luck.

If you look closely in the lava field cracks you can often find three products of a volcanic eruption are Pele's hair, Pele's tears, and Pumice. All three are created when thin bits of magma are released in the air then cool quickly during an eruption. Pele's hair are thin strips of volcanic glass that resemble strands of hair. Pele's tears are solid tear drop shaped pieces of volcanic glass. Pumice is a collection of thin pieces of volcanic glass that creates something that resembles a piece of sea sponge but is very brittle and sharp.

Please take note that the park is the home to many rare and endangered plants and animals, like the Nene (Hawaiian Goose). Do not feed the animals, it teaches them to seek out humans for food and they often wonder onto the roads and get hit by cars. Please drive slowly and keep an eye out for animals in the road. Do not park on the grass, exhaust pipes have started fires in dry brush areas. There is no smoking on any trails or in dry brush areas.

Once you reach the ocean you can see the most recent devastation caused by the current lava flows. There are miles of beautiful black sand beach without anyone on it. The ocean is not accessible due to the effects of the lava flowing into the ocean near by. When the lava flow goes into the ocean it is easily seen by the huge steam cloud it produces. 

The lava is not always flowing into the ocean but when it is avoid the steam cloud, it contains toxic gases. Vog and Vaze are also products from when the lava is flowing into the ocean. Vog is volcanic fog and Vaze is volcanic haze. The effects of these elements can be felt though out all the islands effecting air quality and visibility. They also usually cause spectacular sunsets. 

Chain of Craters Road ends abruptly where a 2003 lava flow made it's way across. There are Park Rangers on duty at the end of the road to answer your questions and advise you of safe places to view flowing lava. Do not explore unauthorized areas and listen to any warnings the Park Rangers offer. The hardened lava crust over flowing magma through tubes is very thin and can collapse easily. Molten magma is over two thousand degrees Fahrenheit, you do not want to fall into that.

Viewing the lava flow after sunset is the best way to see flowing lava without a helicopter. After dark the glow of the molten lava can be seen glowing through skylights across the lava field. When the lava is flowing into the ocean the night time displays can be especially spectacular.

A great side trip off of Chain of Craters Road is to Hilina Pali Overlook. This is an 18 mile round trip adventure down the very narrow and twisty Hilina Pali Road. Drive slowly, there are several blind turns on this road. The road takes you past the Kipuka Nene Campground and ends at a beautiful lookout.  It is interesting to see how the environment is growing back after lava flowed over this area 20 years ago.

Click here to find out about hiking at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Click here to go back to Crater Rim Drive page                                 

All photos are copyrighted by Mike & Kim Crinella, A Friend in the Islands, at www.alohafriends.com

PLEASE NOTE: Prices for island activities featured within our site are NOT guaranteed. Since we are not affiliated with any of the activity providers we are not notified if services or prices change. You will need to contact the activity provider directly for a current price quote and for availability information.