Old Crater Rim Drive, Volcanoes National Park, Hawai'i

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
4/14/2026	1.7 miles	1 hour	206'	2.8 mph	98.6

Parking: 

• Devastation Trailhead

Map:

• Gaia GPS app
• National Park map 

Directions:

• Take the close off road to the end where there are 2 overlooks. Return the same way.

We returned to our cabin after our Thurston Lava Tube hike. The cabins have a shared bath house. We met another camper there who mentioned that the crater was glowing tonight. It's not the same as seeing lava, but I wanted to go! We went to Volcano House - they have a large monitor there where you can watch the crater up close - and see the flames very clearly. The front desk (so helpful!) could tell us which vent was pluming and where the best place to go to view it was. 

So, at 10 pm we left our cabin (it's very noisy when you drive out due to all the tephra on the ground). We got to the Devastation Trailhead, and we were the only ones in the parking lot. It was an easy night hike out to the viewing spot. Along the way, we listened to the coqui frogs. We heard them a lot in Hawaii. It's a beautiful sound, though locals sometimes complain they can be too loud. They are native to Puerto Rico but are actually an invasive species in Hawai'i. We had done this same hike the day before. We saw fire coming out of the volcano - we were told that it is most likely burning volcanic gases (not lava). Anyways, it was still one of my 2 favorite experiences from our trip. I didn't want to leave! The night sky was beautiful too - I love having the opportunity to see it when we visit national parks. My photos look like nothing - but the memory of looking into the crater and seeing it glow is precious. We got back to our cabin at midnight. A busy day!