Kīlauea Iki

Kīlauea Iki Trail, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park The best way to understand a lava lake is to walk across one. This loop descends 400 feet through rainforest to the solidified floor of Kīlauea Iki crater, then crosses the cracked crust past the vent below Puʻupuaʻi cinder cone, where lava fountained 1,900 feet high in 1959. From the overlook the loop is 3.3 miles and takes two to three hours; starting at the visitor center adds distance but solves the real problem, because overlook parking is extremely limited at peak times. The climb back out is steep and rocky, so save some legs for the end, and check the park's alerts page before you go.