Kūpinaʻi Pali (Waldron Ledge) Trail

This easy out-and-back follows a mostly paved piece of old Crater Rim Drive from the Kīlauea Visitor Center to Waldron Ledge. Allow about 1.2 miles round-trip from the visitor-center access and 45 minutes to an hour. The park’s published distance is rounded to about one mile; the full walk from the visitor center includes the service-road approach before the signed trail section.

Cross Crater Rim Drive from the visitor center, head toward the left of Volcano House, then follow the service road down to the rock wall on the left. The route continues on the paved former road toward the ledge. The pavement is cracked and tilted in places. It is designated wheelchair-accessible and stroller-friendly, but expect an uneven surface rather than a smooth promenade.

This pavement once carried Crater Rim Drive around Kīlauea’s summit caldera. The November 16, 1983, magnitude 6.7 earthquake broke and collapsed sections of the road, so traffic was rerouted and the stranded stretch became a walking route. Look for faded painted lane lines still crossing the pavement. That history is why locals also call it Earthquake Trail.

A small overlook on the right soon after Volcano House has a very steep drop. Continue to the larger, level Waldron Ledge overlook for the broad view across Kaluapele (Kīlauea Caldera) and Halemaʻumaʻu. The crater collapsed dramatically in 2018, changing the shape of the view. From the level ledge, a wide frame with Halemaʻumaʻu in the caldera makes the scale clear.

This is the standalone Waldron Ledge walk along one named section of Crater Rim Trail. It is separate from the longer Waldron Ledge Loop, which combines several trails. Pets are prohibited on park trails.