Keanakākoʻi Crater Trail

Start at the Devastation Trailhead parking area and leave near its Crater Rim Drive exit. The route follows the former road toward Keanakākoʻi; visitors describe much of it as paved, with gravel around the viewing area. The road was damaged further in the 2018 summit collapses, so expect an old roadbed rather than a smooth new trail. Turn around just beyond the crater, at the end of the segment open to foot and bicycle traffic.

Keanakākoʻi means “cave of the adzes.” The pit crater likely formed in the 1400s during Kīlauea’s major summit collapses and is now 115 feet deep. Hawaiian carving experts quarried its rare basalt to make koʻi, or adze heads, for carving canoes and houses. Lava covered the quarry in 1877 and again during the July 1974 fissure eruption.

From the destination, you can look toward the much larger Halemaʻumaʻu. Active lava or glow is a bonus when volcanic conditions allow, not a reliable promise; eruption visibility changes with activity and viewing restrictions. The crater itself is the reason to make the walk. At the marked viewing area, frame the crater wall with rough lava in the foreground to show its scale.

Park at Devastation Trailhead; the walk begins near the lot exit. The summit can be hot, dry, wet, or windy, so bring water, a hat, sun protection, and rain gear. Pets aren’t allowed on park trails. Check current park conditions before setting out, since volcanic activity can change access.