Kīlauea Iki is a crater next to the main summit caldera of Kīlauea in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the big island of Hawaii. This crater was a lava lake in 1959 with fountains spewing molten lava up to 1900 feet in the air. This activity lasted for several months until the fountains fizzled out in November of 1959.
Today, visitors can view the crater from the Kīlauea Iki Overlook. There is no longer molten lava here and the crater is vast (though compared to the main crater, it’s small or ‘Iki’.) It’s a mile long and 400 feet deep.
The 2018 eruption and its accompanying earthquakes damaged the Kīlauea Iki Trail. It was still closed when we visited, but partially re-opened the week after we were there. Hikers can now descend to the crater floor, parts of which are still warm to the touch.
Hilo Posts:
- Volcano House
- Steam Vents
- Kīlauea Iki
- Chain of Craters Road (Coming Soon)
- Big Island Candies (Coming Soon)
- Rainbow Falls (Coming Soon)
- Richardson’s Black Sand Beach (Coming Soon)
- Mokuola (Coming Soon)
Location: 1 Crater Rim Drive, Volcano, HI 96718
Designation: National Park
Date established/designated: August 1, 1916
Date of my visit: April 16, 2019
