Distance: 3.9 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 3498' (crater rim)
Elevation Gain: 600'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.5
Round trip time: 1 hours 50 minutes
Recommended water: 24 oz.
Parking/Fees: $30 National Parks Fee
Difficulty: Easy
Leisa and I were back on the Big Island to ring in the new year. This was our second trip to the Big Island. We didn't make it to Volcanoes National Park the first time, so we dedicated a day to it. Our first hike was the Kilauea Iki trail. It started on the crater rim of a dormant caldera, not the active one. The trail dropped gently into the caldera, then followed large cairns of black lava rock through the center. It was unique terrain. There were a couple of steam vents along the way and I stopped to peer into one, but there wasn't much to see. At the other end, we climbed out. Back on the rim, we walked a short distance over to the Thurston Lava Tube. Dim lighting along the wall was enough that we didn't need headlamps. The lava tube was short and kind of disappointing. This was a very popular loop hike and I recommend starting early. When we finished, the parking lot was full and rangers were waving people away.
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