To reach Chain of Craters Road from the entrance to the park take a left onto Crater Rim Drive just after you pass the gate. Follow Crater Rim Drive for three miles until you reach Devastation Trail. Chain of Craters Road will be on the left directly across from the Devastation Trail parking lot. It is important that you reset your car odometer as all the mile markers in our guide are based on the true mileage and not the park mile markers which can sometimes be inaccurate.

If your ultimate goal is night time lava watching (applicable only when active flows are present), you may want to start out on Chain of Craters several hours before sunset in order to reach the end of the road with enough time to get out to the lava before dark. Add extra time if you plan on doing any of the hikes along the road.

Mile Marker .02 1974 Lava Tree and Keanakakoi Crater Hike Mile Marker 0.4 Lua Manu Crater 

The first of several marked craters along this road, Lua Manu will be on your right. Lua Manu is a pit crater that is formed when magma below the earth's surface drains, causing the earth to collapse. The 1974 flow sent lava pouring into Lua Manu's basin, which is about 100 meters (330 feet) across. Further down the road at 0.9 you will see a small pullout on the left which leads to another pit crater, Puhimau Crater. 

Mile Marker 1.3 Thermal Hotspot Mile Marker 1.5 Ko'oko'olau Crater 

Ko'oko'olau is different from the other pit craters we have seen on this road because it has not seen lava in over 200 years. Now, ohia and koa trees and other vegetation have filled the area.

Mile Marker 2.2 Devil's Throat

Just after you turn back onto Chain of Craters Road, look for a small pullout on the right. Park and walk across the road to a dirt path. The path leads about 50 feet to the edge of a sheer cliff which drops off into the abyss. This massive 150 ft. wide by 165 ft. deep crater is called Devil's Throat, and one can imagine why. There are no guard rails to block you so please step carefully around the crumbling edges of the pit. Further down the road at mile marker 2.5 is Hi'iaka Crater with Pauahi Crater following at 3.1. Pauahi is roughly 1,600 feet long, and a boardwalk is provided for a better view. 

Mile Marker 3.6 Mauna Ulu and Napau Crater Trail 

After passing Pauahi Crater, look for a spur road to the left. Follow it about half a mile to a parking lot with a restroom and the Nāpau Trailhead. The first leg, a little over a mile, crosses jagged ʻaʻā and smooth pāhoehoe from the 1969–1974 Maunaulu eruption before climbing forested Puʻu Huluhulu. From the Maunaulu parking area, the route to Nāpau Crater is 6.2 miles one way. This is a remote backcountry hike with no drinking water along the trail. Check current NPS conditions, obtain any required backcountry permit, and carry adequate water before continuing beyond Puʻu Huluhulu.

Mile Marker 6.2 Mau Loa O Mauna Ulu 

From the pullout, you can see a sprawling black sea of pahoehoe lava, which originated from the 1969-1974 eruption of Mauna Ulu. The Keauhou Trail begins here and continues eight miles to the Keauhou Camp on the coast. 

Mile Marker 9.6 Kealakomo 

As you approach the ten-mile marker, a wooden hut perched on the side of the cliff will come into view - an odd site for sure. The handicapped-accessible Kealakomo pavilion sits on the Hōlei Pali above the coastal plain. It overlooks the former Kealakomo village area, which Maunaulu lava flows buried between 1969 and 1974. The covered picnic tables may look inviting, but this spot can be quite windy, perhaps a better place to lose your lunch than eat it. The Nāulu Trail begins across the street and eventually connects with the Nāpau Crater Trail to the north.

Mile Marker 10.2 to near 16: various lookouts 

If you are itching for another opportunity to view the coast, pull over at the Halona Kahakai pullout at mile marker 10.2. Near mile marker 11.5, the road takes a dramatic hairpin turn, which you should approach with caution. In another mile, the elevation will have dropped to about 1,000 ft as you rapidly approach the coast. Building a road on an active volcano is a practice in patience, as evidenced by the Alanui Kahiko pullout at mile marker 13.7. The pullout marks the location of the old Chain of Craters Road, which Maunaulu eruption flows covered between 1969 and 1974. You can still see sections of pavement peeking out from underneath the lava. At the Hōlei Pali lookout farther down the road, the broad lava flows descending toward the coastal plain show the scale of the eruption.

The end of the road 

There are no active flows at the end of Chain of Craters Road at this time.

Currently, the park allows visitors to walk the mile down Chain of Craters Road to where the older lava begins. If you plan on hiking beyond where the lava meets the road, please take a few precautions. Bring plenty of water, approximately three quarts for the entire hike. Carry rain gear, sunblock, and flashlights. The temperature drops with the sun, so carry a lightweight jacket or sweatshirt just in case.

The lava fields are a sight to behold and, for those capable of the hike, a must. Hiking across lava may include unsure footing, jagged rock, and high winds, but the payoff is amazing. The flows stretch in front of you like a massive black ocean glittering in the sun. The lava has created waves and valleys of varying degrees. You can see where the pahoehoe lava has created interesting swirls and ropey patters. The landscape is punctuated by raised hills where gases escaped. To get an idea of how deep this ocean is, you will pass several road signs that were nearly buried by recent flows.

Remember, though, never venture out onto the lava bench nearest to the ocean. This land is very unstable and prone to collapse without warning. Some foolish people have not heeded this warning and paid for it with their lives.

If you are fortunate enough to be here on a clear night, look up. With the only lights being what you are holding in your hand, stargazing is phenomenal.