In 1959,
Kilauea Iki generated an incredible series of eruptions, including a 1,900 foot
high lava fountain. The result was a lava lake over 400 feet deep, complete with
waves splashing along the sides of the crater. Although it's solid at the present,
it's still molten in the core. You can click
here to get more information about the 1959 eruption from the US Geological
Survey web site.
I did the 4 mile loop starting at the parking lot at the north end of the crater.
The trail starts in the rain forest, and you can go west like I did, or go east.
This is an overview of the Kilauea Iki vent from the south. The actual vent is
roughly in the center of the picture and hidden by the hill on the left.
This is the east side of the crater. The "road" that you see is the
Kilauea Iki trail.
I started hiking from the trailhead on the northeast corner of the crater. This
is the view, looking southwest. You're looking at the vent on the left, with the
west crater and Byron Ledge in the background.
I started walking toward the west, which takes you through a rain forest. When
you reach the Byron Ledge, you head south and down into the west crater.
This is "ground zero" for the 1959 eruption. The trail literally takes
you right up to the main vent, and then continues across the lava lake. You eventually
reach the east side of the crater and make your way back to the trailhead.
Here are pictures of various ferns and other plantlife growing in the crater.
