Crater Rim Drive, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Written and Produced by Donald B. MacGowan
Narrated by Frank Burgess
Video and Still Photography by Donnie MacGowan and Frank Burgess


A fine introduction to the wonders of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Crater Rim Drive circles the summit crater of Kilauea Volcano, including Halema'uma'u Crater, the home of Madame Pele. The drive runs 11 fabulous and amazing miles through arid, barren volcanic desert, ohi'a forest and grassland and lush fern jungle.

The most interesting sites along the drive are the Visitor's Center, Jaggar Museum, Halema'uma'u Crater, Kilauea Iki Crater, Devastation Trail and Thurston Lava Tube.

Currently, because of the eruption in Halema'uma'u Crater, Chain of Craters Road is closed from Jagger Museum, south past Halema'uma'u Crater Overlook to the junction with Chain of Craters Road at Devastation Trail. This means that you cannot drive through the interior of Kilauea Caldera and will miss such sites as Southwest Rift, Halema'uma'u Crater Overlook and Keanakako'i Crater, as well as many of the more interesting recent lava flows and ash fall surfaces. However, this allows you to concentrate more fully on other sites.

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