Chain of Craters Road

Volcano National Park...Chain of Craters Road


With lunch under our belts we returned to the car to see what Chain of Craters Road was all about.

Chain of Craters Road is twenty miles long from it’s start at Crater Rim Drive to where it ends because it’s covered by a recent lava flow. We were cautioned to be sure we had a full tank of gas because there would be no services along the way.

As we set out we had another chance to see how the volcano creates it’s own weather. It began to get very overcast and seemed to be threatening to rain. We decided to go ahead anyway. We stopped a various craters along the way but not being geologists or volcanologists they began to look a lot alike so we pressed on. We wanted to get to where we could see the current eruption. Kilauea has been erupting more or less continuously since 1983.

The road began to curve around the side of the volcano in a series of hairpins as we started to work our way down the mountain. The weather also changed again to a sunny, clear day! Suddenly we could see the sea and the road far below. It was a breathtaking view. The cars we could just make out were tinier than toys! Then we turned a corner and there was smoke in the distance. At this point we didn’t know that this was the plume of steam and sulfuric acid from the lava entering the sea. This potentially lethal cloud is called VOG and is responsible for some pretty desolate landscapes because of the high acid content.

Finally we had gone as far as we could go in the car. This was truly the end of the road. Lava had crossed the road. If we were going any further we would have to walk. There was a small temporary ranger station with rest rooms and bottled water. We loaded water into my backpack and we set out walking.

The first part of the trek was pretty easy but then we hit the lava flows. Walking on lava isn’t easy. The terrain is uneven even when it’s Pahoehoe. You can be sure next time I undertake a hike like this I will have a walking stick or pole for balance!

The rangers had put little markers out on the lava for a trail and we followed it to the first viewing area. If I remember correctly we reached this area about 4pm so it was late afternoon. To actually reach the lava bench where the molten lava was entering the sea would be another 4-5 miles over uneven lava flows and although the sight would be spectacular, at least some of the hike would be in the dark and we didn’t have flashlight and although we had water, we didn’t have food. The decision was made for us however when Sis took a spill on the lava and proved that what the ranger told us in the morning was true. If you fall on the lava you WILL get cut. And Sis was bleeding from a whole bunch of little cuts. Luckily one of the other hikers nearby saw what happened and came to our rescue with band aids. They patched Sis up good enough so we could limp back to the car but hiking any further was now out of the question which was just as well as we really weren’t prepared. So on our to do list for the next trip…hike out to the point where the lava flows into the ocean or take a night cruise to see the lava flow in all it’s brilliance!

Back at the ranger station we loaded ourselves into the car and headed back to the condo. A brief stop for dinner supplies and we were soon in for the night .