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Chain of Craters Road
Road
to the Sea
 The Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,
leads you from the Crater Rim Drive,
zig-zagging down the side of the Kilauea Volcano, all the way
down to the ocean and eventually ending at the site of the
current active lava flow.
 If
you have three to four hours to visit the park, you should take the time
to explore the East Rift and coastal area of the Park via Chain of
Craters Road. This road descends 3,700 feet in 20 miles and ends where a
2003 lava flow crossed the road. Depending
 on
changing volcanic activity, there may be opportunities for viewing
active lava flows from the end of the road. No food, water, or fuel is
available along the Chain of Craters Road. There are spectacular
views of the coastline from various
 scenic
points on this road. Once you reach the coast, you will see the
powerful waves pounding the lava sea cliffs sending water spraying high
into the sky. The road ends at a parking area where you can hike
to see the active lava flow.
Lava flows and viewing conditions change daily, so please consult the
visitor's center for the latest information.
 Near
the end of the Chain of Craters Road is the Holei Sea Arch. This
natural bridge was formed by the destructive force of the rough ocean
waves carving away at the lava cliff. You can park your car nearby
and walk across the dried lava beds to view the sea arch and the
crashing waves below.
Photo contribution by
Tony Braim
 Chain
of Craters Road originally connected Crater Rim Drive to Makaopuhi
Crater and was completed in 1928. In 1964, the road was extended to Kalapana. Lava flows from the Mauna Ulu eruption closed Chain of Craters
Road in 1969. The road was reopened to
 1979.
In 1986, lava from the current
eruption of Kilauea closed the road. At
the present time, Chain of Craters Road is about 20 miles (32 km) long
and 7.5 miles (12 km) of the road has been buried by lava.
Chain
of Craters Hiking Trails
 Several
Trails begin on the Chain of
Craters Road. One of the most
dramatic trails is the Napau Crater Trail starting at the Mauna Ulu
Parking area. Initially this trail leads you to the top of Pu'u
Huluhulu and continues past cinder cones, pit craters, and a tree fern
rain forest to the edge of the Napau Crater. The Hilina Pali Trail
trail starts at the overlook at the end of the Hilina Pali Road which
branches off of the Chain of Craters Road. This trail switchbacks
steeply down to the coast to Kaaha Point on the coast, about 7.5 miles
round trip. The
Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs trail is also
located off of the Chain of Craters Road. This is an easy hike to
Hawaii's most extensive petroglyph fields.
Check out the
Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park Map to help you plan your trip.
Take a
Virtual Tour of
the active Kilauea lava flow
View our lava flow photos
and our volcano videos.
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