Crater Rim Drive

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  • Transport
    car:
  • road open 24hr; Jaggar Museum open 08:00 - 17:00

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Lonely Planet review

The amazing 18km (11mi) Crater Rim Drive circles Kilauea Caldera, offering almost nonstop views of the scorched, smoldering home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. If time is short, driving this loop road is a must - be sure to stop at the overlook for Halema'uma'u Crater; the Thurston Lava Tube, an enormous cave left by flowing lava; and the Jaggar Museum, with working seismographs, lava displays and a stupendous vista.

The Thurston Lava Tube is big enough for your car, not to mention yourself - and a short initial section is lighted. Lava tubes are formed when the outer crust of a river of lava starts to harden but the liquid lava beneath the surface continues to flow through. After the flow has drained out, the hard shell remains.