Puhimau Crater

Puhimau Crater is a steep-walled pit crater beside Chain of Craters Road, one of the pit craters along the drive. This is a quick scenic stop for a look into a hollow with vegetation on its floor, not a long outing. If you're comparing craters, Puhimau earns a short pause for its layered walls and greener interior.

The name Puhimau is commonly translated as “forever smoking”: puhi means smoke and mau means continuous. On some days, faint steam escapes from cracks on the far side. Treat that as a bonus rather than the reason to stop; it may not be visible when you arrive.

Pit craters form as a volcano shifts or expands and the ground fractures. A cavity works its way upward until the surface roof gives way; later, erosion loosens and widens the walls. They aren't explosive craters or collapsed lava tubes. Trees and other vegetation can establish on a crater floor over time, softening Puhimau's broken rock.

There's auto parking, and this is a scenic/photo stop. For a useful photo, include the near rim or foreground greenery with the far wall; without those clues, the steep drop can read as a plain cliff. Look across the far side for occasional steam while you're there.