ALOHA!
So for quite some time (30 years), there had been active lava flow (aka the red stuff!) to be seen on the Big Island. Then, it stopped in 2018. Then, active lava started flowing again in late 2020. Check here to see the current update.
So, there may or may not be active lava to be seen when you visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
But, even if you can’t see active lava, you CAN see old lava flows all over the Big Island!
And, the national park can be among the best spots on the Big Island to see a mass of hardened lava flows, lava rocks, and lava fields!
And among the hardened lava flows?!
You can see up close and personal how the lava flowed directly over a road in the national park.
This was from lava flows in 1972.
As the National Park Service says, with a visit to the Alanui Kahiko stop:
Walk to lava flows from Mauna Ulu that poured over the 800 foot (250 meters) high cliff and swept across Chain of Craters Road.
A few sections of the old road were spared and makes for great photos to show how temporary the constructs of men are on a continuously erupting volcano.
So the Chain of Craters Road is basically the drive that you MUST do when you visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
If you are trying to rush through the park, then this is a scenic drive that is worth a top priority.
And if you manage to find time to rush through the drive a little less and can make time for stops, you can also have a visit to this old road that’s now called Alanui Kahiko that was once a part of the Chain of Craters Road.
It’s no longer a part of the road because it got covered in lava!
So this can be a super quick stop.
Or if you have more time, you can get out and further walk the lava fields all around!
🌋
Here are some ideas for your time on the Big Island!
Among the most popular things to do on the Big Island are Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Akaka Falls State Park, and Waipio Valley!
For Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the main road to drive is Chain of Craters Road and it will take you to see the best lava fields in Hawaii! Before that though (or after!) you will want to make a stop for the Thurston lava tube. You can also hike into a former lava lake by doing the Kilauea Iki Trail!
Other Big Island activities you may want to make time for are the best black sand beaches in Hawaii (including Punaluu black sand beach to see turtles maybe!) and the Papakolea green sand beach of Hawaii.
Read more for your Hawaii trip prep:
Volcanoes in Hawaii: There was a time in December 2022 that 2 volcanoes were erupting in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This was a special occasion because even in the past few years, there was a quiet period where there was NO active lava to be seen anywhere in Hawaii. As the National Park Service says, it was the first time in nearly 40 years that TWO volcanoes were erupting in Hawaii at the same time! But what seems like nearly just like that, they stopped erupting. As it goes with volcanoes, things can change in an instant! So be sure to check National Park Service updates when your Big Island trip gets closer: What's going on with the volcanoes?
Spotted yesterday at #MaunaLoa – a lava boat rides the waves! On Dec 7, a lava boat was spotted floating down channel. Lava boats can form when portions of the cone or lava channel break away & are rafted downstream. Hot lava cools to its surface to create that smooth exterior. pic.twitter.com/D9gdoFolfq
— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) December 9, 2022
Be sure to see the list of more places to see old lava flows on the Big Island… and there are old lava flows to see on Maui too if you’re head there!
So…
How to make the Alanui Kahiko stop a part of your Chain of Craters Road drive?!
So the Chain of Craters Road is an out-and-back drive.
You’ll want to drive out to the end of the road, which is the Holei Sea Arch with coastal cliff views, which is another worthy stop.
And then to see the Alanui Kahiko, the easiest would be to make this stop as you are making your way back to where you came from, the park entrance.
Although, it’s not that much more difficult if you want to stop when you’re driving in the opposite direction on the way to the end of the Chain of Craters Road.
The main thing is that there’s a bigger designated area to pull over your car on the way back without having to cross over to the other side of the road.
So…
After you’ve seen the Holei Sea Arch at the end of the Chain of Craters Road…
Start driving back on Chain of Craters Road!
It won’t be long (maybe a 10 minute drive) before you see the sign for Alanui Kahiko.
Going in this direction, there will be a convenient stop to pull over your car on the right side of the road.
Once you see that…
Pull over the car in the designated space!
Then…
If you look on the side towards the ocean, you’ll see a little stairway that leads down.
This path is right off the pull-over area.
You can go down that way and in a very short time (maybe like a minute) you’ll come to the old Chain of Craters road!
And then you can take some pictures, and head back to your car!
Or…
While this can be a super quick stop, you can also make this a worthy longer stop.
There are lava flows and lava fields all around the old road!
So you can just walk through the lava fields around here for as long as, or as little as, you feel!
There are also lava fields on the other side of the road (the real or “new” road, the one you were just driving on), and you can also walk through the lava on that side too.
What makes that side interesting is that even from far away, you can see the differences in the time period the lava flowed down the hill.
As you’re driving around the Big Island, not just in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you’ll notice that the lava fields are different shades – some are lighter in color and some are darker in color.
You can see this color difference quite distinctly on the hill just across the street from Alanui Kahiko.
This means that you can also see quite distinctly the path of the most recent lava flow down this slope.
For this reason, I think it can be fun to walk through these lava fields too, so you can see up close side by side the most recent lava flow compared to the older lava rocks.
And other than that, it can just be fun to walk across the lava fields in general!
What if you want to make this stop on your way TO the end of Chain of Craters Road, and not on the way back?
In general, for safety, it’s best to only make stops on the Chain of Craters Road where there is a designated parking (or stopping) area.
If you’re going in the opposite direction, to the end of Chain of Craters Road towards the Holei Sea Arch, there was a small stop area on the right side that I think was good for just one car, maybe 2.
And then if that spot is taken, if it’s safe to do so, you can cross over to park on the side with more parking area.
But because the old road is located on the right side as you are driving back to the park entrance, away from the end of the Chain of Craters Road, it can be easier to make this stop on your way back.
Basically, it can be easier to park on the way back since you won’t have to cross over!
But really, the whole fun in driving this scenic road is to make stops along the way as you like! (And when it’s safe to do so!)
So when you get near the Alanui Kahiko stop, see how you feel and you can decide if you want to make it on the way out, or on the way back!
In the end, it won’t make too big of a difference!
And, you can also use this stop along Chain of Craters Road as a resting spot with ocean views too!
If you find this Old Chain of Craters Road stop interesting, you might find the Kilauea Iki Trail hike interesting too, also at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park! You can hike into what was formerly a lava lake!
See more stops to make as you’re driving through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park!
HAPPY SEEING LAVA ON THE OLD CHAIN OF CRATERS ROAD!
See the list:
- Things to do on the Big Island (for VIEWS!)
- Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Things to do in Kona
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