Kilauea Iki Trail Hike

Have you ever wanted to hike on a dried lava lake next to a volcano? Is that even possible? Would it surprise you to know that it’s not only possible, but you can easily access it 24 hours a day? Kilauea Iki Trail gives you the chance to do just that!

Kilauea is one of the volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii. Legend says that it is the home of Pele, the goddess of fire, who traveled from Tahiti before making her home in Hawaii. Kilauea is the world’s most active volcano. Most of the time the lava flow doesn’t affect the island’s residents, but it can flow through towns, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. In talking to some who have lived there, that is a part of life that comes with living on the Big Island. When you go to Kilauea, you can even see offerings above the crater. They embrace Pele’s presence. 

Kilauea is the main attraction of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, full of trails and lookout points where you can get a close view of this amazing natural landmark. The park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you have options on when to visit.

Kilauea Iki is located next to Kilauea’s caldera, the location of the main crater, Halema’uma’u. Kilauea Iki Trail consists of a rainforest surrounding a lake of dried lava that formed in 1959 that took nearly 40 yrs to cool and solidify! The trail connects to other trails within the park, and depending on which paths you use, a hike in the park can be done in a few hours or a whole day.

For this particular hike, my sister (aka my ‘all things in Hawaii hiking partner’) and I decided we would do nearly 4 miles which included Crater Rim Trail, Kilauea Iki Trail and Nahuku-Thurston Lava Tube. Since we’ve never been inside a lava tube, we thought that’d be a cool element to add to our hike. A lava tube is basically an underground tunnel where lava flowed and drained after an eruption. It can take a year or more to cool, but a hollow tunnel with solid lava drippings from the ceiling (similar to stalactites) are left in its path.  

Preparing for Kilauea Iki Trail

Fuel up/Hydrate
If you read my Pipiwai Trail Hike post, you know I recommend hydrating before a hike. I also recommend eating a light snack during the drive to the trail. This is not a hike where you can take it easy. You’ll be climbing stairs, over rocks, uneven terrain, switchbacks and spending a long time under the sun with no shade. So definitely fuel up before you go and bring water and snacks if you think you’ll need them on the trail.

Dress in layers
Chances of showers over the volcano are high depending on the time of year you go, so I advise you to wear water resistant clothing – hiking pants, a UPF top, a hooded windbreaker and a hat. You could start the hike with light showers before the sun ends up bearing down on you. A good portion of the hike will have you directly under the sun, so bring items that can provide shade for your head and eyes. 

Pack a small first aid kit (with sunblock)
Most of the hike involves walking over uneven terrain. If you are prone to clumsiness, you may accidentally scrape yourself on the lava rocks! So bring bandages, antiseptic and ointment! And again, you will be directly under the sun depending on what time you go, so don’t forget that sunblock… 

Bring a flashlight
If you plan on doing the hike just before sunrise or walking through the lava tube, bring a flashlight. Depending on the time of day, it can be pretty dark under the trees and in the lava tube. 

Wear supportive hiking shoes
With all the uneven surfaces, you’ll need something to support your feet and ankles. The lava tube also has a lot of puddles in the morning, so definitely prepare for that. And as a side note, even if you don’t want to do the hike and would rather just go through the lava tube, it’s best NOT to wear flip flops. The path from the parking lot down to the lava tube is steep and I’d hate for you to make the drive only to injure your feet.   

Make a plan on what/where to eat after the hike 
Kilauea is not near a lot of restaurants and you WILL be hungry. Depending on when you finish your hike, restaurants are either closed or the waiting list is long and you’ll be forced to drive farther out to get food. Snacks will come in handy to tide you over until then.

Getting to Kilauea Iki Trail

If you are staying in Hilo, the drive to Kilauea Iki Trail can be 45 minutes to an hour long. Most of the drive is a 2-lane highway through small towns and scenic vegetation. Luckily, the drive is mostly flat and hardly has any switchbacks. Large signs posted will guide you along your drive…most of them will either spell out the name of a nearby town, or simply say ‘Volcanoes’. Easy peasy, right? 

Surprisingly, I had good cell signal during the drive from Hilo to the trail parking lot so my map app/navigation was turned on the entire time. I eventually discovered that I had a decent cell signal throughout various points of the park – I suspect it’s because there are webcams set up around the park, so there must be a tower to help boost signal. Of course, that may not be the case for every service provider, but the drive is pretty easy if you check a map beforehand. 

You do have to purchase a pass to get into the park. When we arrived at the entrance, the booth had no attendant, so if there is no staff, it’s all on honor system. Purchase online or come back to the entrance later and pay the fees. You can also buy a digital pass in advance and save a screenshot of it so you have it readily available on your phone. The National Parks website offers more information about entrance fees. Since my sister has an America the Beautiful—National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass (just like when we were in Maui), we didn’t have to pay any fees. 

Depending on when you get there, you have 2 parking lots to choose from (Kilauea Iki Overlook and Kilauea Iki Trailhead). We parked at the Kilauea Iki Overlook lot, which has more parking spots. Plus, it has a bathroom. (Which was very minimal, I’ll add. If you need more than a toilet shell with a deep, dark hole into the ground and toilet paper, stop by the visitor’s center first. Visitor’s center bathrooms resemble the quality and cleanliness found at a gym.) We noticed that a lot of visitors preferred to park at the Kilauea Iki Trailhead parking lot, which is actually closer to the lava tube. If you get to the park before 8am, either parking lot works. Anytime after 9am, however, the parking lot by the lava tube tends to fill up. 

Hiking Kilauea Iki Trail

If you park at the overlook lot, follow the signs to the paths to the Kilauea Iki/Crater Rim Trails. I recommend going counter clockwise, head west/start on Crater Rim Trail. Both the beginning and end of the trail will take you through a dense rainforest. The trail is well-paved with plenty of signage indicating distance traveled along with directions to the other trails. If you head west first, you’ll see the lava lake down on your left as you walk farther down the path. The reason I recommend going west first is because you’ll be going down stairs as you make your way towards the lava lake. You’ll be glad you’re going down stairs as opposed to going up at the conclusion of the hike! 

When you get to the lava lake floor, keep an eye out for stacks of rocks (ahu) which the rangers have set up so you know where to walk. Not only does this minimize damage to the plant life growing on Kilauea, it also keeps you safe. Steam vents and deep fissures are located across the lava lake, and you definitely don’t want to get hurt! 

Also, please DO NOT create your own ahu along the trail, please respect the privilege you are given to walk around this sacred ground. Take your time, mind your footing and look carefully for the ahu. Some parts of the trail you might come across loose rocks spread all over the ground. A few times my sister and I had to pause and survey the area to find the next ahu. One was perched nearly thirty feet away beyond flattened boulders and another was located just at the top of a short hill.

After you cross the lava lake, multiple piles of rocks will lead you back into the forest. Ascending switchbacks will take you to the top. Switchbacks will be so much easier to handle towards the end of your hike versus the stairs!

When you reach the Kilauea Iki Trailhead parking lot, head over to the Thurston Lava Tube. It’s a little steep going down, so be careful. The entrance and exit are about 600 feet apart. It has lamps inside, which are turned on between 8am-8pm. The lamps are bright enough to light the floor so you know where to walk (and could avoid puddles). I remember my sister and I kept our flashlights on so we could better observe the ceilings. Once you reach the end, a set of stairs will take you up to the same paths you took on the way down. 

You’ll have to get back onto the forest trail to reach your car if you parked at the overlook lot – you can’t get to your car by taking the street that connects both parking lots. 

Bonus View – Kilauea Caldera/Halema’uma’u

If you’re able to squeeze this in, definitely recommend a visit to the crater. Originally, our plan was to visit the crater first, then do the Kilauea Iki hike. Unfortunately, there was no lava at the surface, just steam, so we decided to visit the crater after our hike. It’s always good to check if there is lava flow, consider it a bonus as part of your visit. You can check Kilauea’s activity at the U.S. Geological Survey website. Dusk/evening is a popular time to visit when there is lava activity, so definitely recommend going very early in the morning, especially if you plan on doing a hike. 

Important Information:
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
P.O. Box 52
Hawaii National Park, HI 96718
808-985-6011
Trail Coordinates: 19° 24′ 48.9168” N, 155° 14′ 53.286” W

I definitely recommend this hike – you’ll get a variety of terrain and just the thought that you are standing on a lava lake is awesome! I do have to say that you should be physically fit enough to do this hike because of the amount of uneven terrain and stairs on the trail. A visit to Kilauea is a must do when you are on the Big Island…even better if you’re able to hike there!