Makaopuhi Crater Trail

The first stretch follows pāhoehoe past numbered interpretive stops toward the Puʻu Huluhulu junction. Beyond the junction, the route crosses a broad lava field on the Nāpau Trail. The surface shifts between smoother pāhoehoe and rough, unstable ʻaʻā. Stone cairns mark the way, but they can blend into the dark rock; take care to keep the marked line in view. There is little shade across the open section, and direct sun can feel strong.

At Makaopuhi, the trail reaches and skirts the crater rim, where the view opens onto a broad double pit crater with steep walls and a forested interior. This is the turnaround for this route. Continuing beyond it follows the longer Nāpau hike through tree-fern forest toward the old pulu factory and Nāpau Crater. That is a different commitment, not part of the 8.2 miles here.

Maunaulu means “growing mountain.” Its 1969–1974 eruptions left the lava channels, tree molds and pit craters that shape this walk. Makaopuhi also erupted in 1922, 1965 and 1972. The route puts you close to those changes in the East Rift Zone, where the ground is a record of lava moving across the landscape.

The small Maunaulu parking area has a restroom, but there is no drinking water on the trail and no food service at the start. Pets are prohibited on park trails. Sharp, glassy lava can make a fall more serious than on a dirt path, cairns can be hard to pick out, and the open traverse has little shade.

The distance here starts at the parking area and includes the full approach. The Nāpau junction and Makaopuhi rim are several miles apart, so a segment distance can understate the outing.