Kilauea Iki - Member Hike

Hike Name:	Kilauea Iki
Country:	United States
State:	Hawaii
Nearby Town:	Volcano
Rating:
Directions:	From Volcano, drive west on Highway 11. Turn left on Crater Rim Drive, stop at the park entrance station to pay the entrance fee, and then take the next left on Crater Rim Drive. Stay on Crater Rim Drive for just over a mile and there will be a trailhead parking turnout area on the right.
Total Hike Distance:	4.00 miles
Hike Difficulty:	Easy
Permit Required:	No
Hike Type:	Roundtrip, Loop Hike
Hike Starts/Ends:	Kilauea Iki Trailhead
Trails Used:	Kilauea Iki
Backcountry Campsites:	No
Backcountry Water Sources:	None
Management:	National Park Service
Contact Information:	Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park 1 Crater Rim Drive Hawaii National Park, HI 96718 Visitor Information: (808) 985-6000 http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm
Best Season:	Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Users:	Hikers
Road Conditions:	Secondary Paved Roads
Hike Summary:	This hike begins at the Kilauea Iki trailhead in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and progresses in a counterclockwise direction. It first traverses along the rain forest-like north rim of the crater before descending approximately 400 feet to the floor of the crater. The true scale of the size of the crater becomes surprisingly obvious as you look down at people walking along the crater floor from the rim trail above. The barren lava of the crater floor is in stark contrast to the rain forest-like vegetation of the rim trail. The lava that forms the crater floor resembles something of a post-apocalyptic parking lot where the pavement has been heaved up in large slabs. The trail along the crater floor is marked by cairns, but it would be difficult to get lost here either way. Just point yourself toward the other side of the crater and walk. The final ascent up out of the crater to the trailhead is somewhat steep, but completely manageable.