Note: There is currently NO access to Keanakakoi Crater. Crater Rim Drive from Jaggar Museum to Chain of Craters Road has been closed since February, 2008 due to elevated levels of sulfur dioxide gas and the subsequent eruption from a new vent in Halema‘uma‘u Crater. (see closed area advisory)

Crater Rim Drive Tour - Stop #7

The next stop is 1.2 miles away at Keanakako'i Crater. About one half mile from Halema'uma'u Crater you will find evidence of a brief eruption that occurred in September 1982 covering several hundred feet of roadway. This is pahoehoe lava and has a smooth surface. The chunky lava is called a'a. These Hawaiian words are used by geologists world wide to describe these distinct types of lava. This road was rebuilt within 6 weeks of the eruption.

Keanakako'i, meaning "cave of the adzes" is beside the road on your right. This pit crater lays on the boundary fault that encircles Kilauea's summit. Until its floor was buried in 1877, Keanakako'i was the source for superior stone used in tool-making by the Hawaiians. The floor was covered with an additional 20 feet of rock during the 1974 eruption.

Carefully crossing the road, you can walk to the overlook and view the fissures with their still smoking fumaroles from the 1974 eruption.

On a clear day this is an excellent vantage point for viewing Mauna Loa's 13,677 foot summit and Mauna Kea's 13,796 foot summit adorned with some of the world's largest astronomical observatories.

Go To: Crater Rim Drive Tour - Stop #8 - Devastation Trail

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