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The heart of Kilauea, where the rainforests of Puna meet the deserts of Ka’u.

The native rainforest jungle, consisting primarily of ohia trees and hapu'u tree ferns.Visitors hike through an underground canyon in Kazamura lava tube.Halema'uma'u crater emits a glowing plume of volcanic ash and gases at Kilauea's summit.Lehua blossoms adorn an ohia tree in Kilauea Iki crater below Pu'u Pua'i.Philip shares Kilauea summit with visitors under the backdrop of Mauna Loa.

Kilauea volcano's summit location on Hawai'i Island.Summary: Located within Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, the summit of Kilauea is a significant focus of Hawaiian culture and legend. The growth of Kilauea, directed by the volcano goddess Pele, is recorded as living history in the plethora of geological features around the highest point of the volcano: steam vents, fumaroles, faults, lava tubes, explosive debris, historic lava flows, and the current eruption of Kilauea within Halema’uma’u crater.

Points of interest: National Park’s Visitor Center, the historic Volcano House, Sulphur Banks, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Jagger Museum, Halema’uma’u crater (current eruption site), Keanakekoi crater, Devastation Trail, Kilauea Iki, Nahuku (Thurston lava tube), Volcano Village, and Kazamura lava tube.

Trails: 1-12 miles round trip, easy to challenging, extendable into other areas of the national park.

Tour options: Half-day minimum (drive-through with stops), up to 5 full hiking days for in-depth exploration.

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Kilauea Iki crater spreads below the crater rim trail in the national park.Hapu'u tree fern fiddleheads in the native rainforest.Aerial view of Kilauea Iki and Kilauea caldera.A Nene goose, Hawai'i's federally endangered state bird.Lava-sculpted stalactites in the Kazamura lava tube.