This Hawaiian Road Descends 3,700 Feet Through Active Volcanoes and Ends at a Wall of Hardened Magma

Big Island’s Chain of Craters Road

Passing 19 miles through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the road drops 3,700 feet from the visitor center to the coast.

Since 1928, the route has seen lava flows repeatedly covering parts of it. The Mauna Ulu eruption in 1969 destroyed sections of the original road, which led to its current shape.

Today, you’ll come across ancient Hawaiian sites, vast lava fields, and ocean views in a changing landscape. Let’s dig in.

Meant to Connect a Crater and a Rim Drive

The original Chain of Craters Road was built in 1928 to connect Crater Rim Drive to Makaopuhi Crater. Initially, it was called “Cockett’s Trail” and cost $148,000 to build. The road’s extension in 1965 also helped connect Makaopuhi Crater to the coastal town of Kalapana.

Pilgrimage of Creation & Destruction

While there are no sandy beaches along the shore on Chain of Craters Road, there’s a trailhead at the end, about 22 miles from the park’s entrance, which takes you to the first part of the lava flow that first closed the road.

This happened because of the Pu’u O’o vent which stopped flowing abruptly in 2018. It had been flowing consistently since January 1983. And if you’re hunting for craters, 7 are accessible by the road. The Devil’s Throat crater is highly recommended.

Ancient Rock Carvings at Pu’u Loa

Find over 23,000 petroglyphs carved into hard lava at Pu’u Loa, made between 1200 and 1450 AD. The rock art shows human figures and canoe sails, including special holes called cupules that signified a spiritual connection to the land.

Besides fishing methods, the carvings also depict the importance of seafaring in Hawaiian culture. There’s a wooden walkway from where you can observe the largest collections of Hawaiian rock art in the Pacific.

Natural Sea Arch Formation

The Holei Sea Arch stands 90 feet tall at the end of the road, shaped by ocean waves hitting the lava cliffs. The cliff has layers of basalt and smooth lava that flowed into the ocean 550 years ago, creating striped patterns in the rock.

Winter storms bring waves up to 40 feet high that keep reshaping the arch. Scientists use special cameras to check if the arch is stable, as similar arches in the park have fallen without warning.

Different Weather Zones

The Chain of Craters Road descends approximately 3,700 feet from Kīlauea’s summit to sea level. As you drive down the road, the temperature can change by 15 degrees in just one hour.

The top part stays cool and misty at 70°F with wet air, while the beach area often heats up to 85°F with drier air. This microclimate provides a changing scene of tall ohia trees at the top and then tough naupaka bushes that thrive near the ocean.

A Standing Dead Forest

The “ghost trees” along the road are ohia trees that were killed by the 1969 Mauna Ulu eruption but didn’t exactly fall down.

Hot gases (primarily sulfur dioxide) from the lava, reaching 2,000°F, killed these trees instantly. Instead of burning up, the trees dried out quickly, preserving their shape like nature’s statues.

Now, these white, dead trees stand up to 50 feet tall, creating an unusual landscape that shows the power of volcanic eruptions.

Cave System Under the Road

One of the largest networks of lava tubes runs beneath the road, including the Kazumura Cave system that extends over 40 miles.

These caves formed when the lava’s outer layer cooled while hot lava kept flowing inside, leaving empty tunnels up to 60 feet high. The caves stay at 68°F year-round and are home to unique animals.

Rare blind spiders and bioluminescent crickets thrive in the cave environment, found nowhere else in the world.

Monsoon Creates Temporary Waterfalls

Heavy rains create waterfalls along the road that pour down old lava channels and cliffs. These temporary falls can reach up to 200 feet high, but they only last a few hours or until the water absorbs into the ground.

Rain from the upper slopes follows paths that lava once made. When white water flows over black lava cliffs, it creates beautiful scenes. These waterfalls also help spread plant seeds (part of pollination) keeping cliff-side plants alive.

Protected Bird Areas Along the Road

The road’s edges have become important places for endangered Hawaiian birds, especially where the forest meets new lava flows.

The Hawaiian hawk (est. 3,085 birds) and Hawaii creeper (12,000 to 14,000 individuals) are among the rare birds that feed and nest here. The road offers excellent birdwatching opportunities, with sightings of species like the White-tailed Tropicbird and Black Noddy reported near landmarks such as the Hōlei Sea Arch.

How Plant Life Returns to Lava Flows

Scientists have discovered that each lava flow regrows from bare rock to full forest. Researchers like Forbes and MacCaughey have examined the vegetation recovery on Mauna Loa lava flows.

The 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption was one of the first extensively monitored events. Small ferns and lichens are the first to grow on the new lava beds. Scientists have also learned that it takes a minimum of 1000 years for a complete ecosystem to develop out here.

Drive Through Ancient Hawaiian Paths

Old Hawaiian trails from around 1400 AD cross Chain of Craters Road, including parts of the Puna-Ka’u trail. These carefully built stone paths once connected beach villages to inland communities across 80 miles of the Big Island’s south side.

Hawaiians placed stones precisely to make paths that have lasted through earthquakes and eruptions. They made the trails wide enough for both walking and transporting agricultural goods.

Special Features in the Road’s Design

Engineers built this road to handle volcanic conditions, using asphalt that can withstand 400°F heat. They put in expansion joints every 50 feet to prevent the road from buckling during earthquakes and temperature changes.

Some parts of the road were designed to be sacrificed during eruptions to protect other sections. The road’s base uses crushed lava rock to spread out the weight and stop cracks from forming when the ground moves.