Event
Explore the Kaʻū Desert Trail on Foot
Fee:
Free.Location: LAT/LONG: 19.368966, -155.367396
Meet at the Kaʻū Desert Trailhead on Highway 11 in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Type of Event
About two hours
Description
Traverse Mauna Loa volcano’s Keamoku ʻaʻā lava flow and find the footprints in Kīlauea volcano’s 1790 explosive ash deposit during this guided hike to the Footprints shelter in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Geology Department faculty and geologist Cheryl Gansecki will talk about the geologic features along the trail in this unique region where Mauna Loa, Earth’s largest active volcano, and Kīlauea, one of Earth’s most active volcanoes, meet. Gansecki will tell the story of the fatal explosive eruption of Kīlauea in 1790, which deposited ash that preserves footprints of that time period. This easy two-mile (3.2 km) roundtrip hike is fairly easy but includes a 100-ft. (30-m) elevation gain, and crosses rough, uneven lava surfaces. Adventurous hikers can continue on to Maunaiki to explore vents and lava flows of the 1919–20 eruption (adds an additional moderate hike of +2 miles roundtrip).
Wear sturdy, closed-toe walking shoes; bring protective gear for sun and rain; bring drinking water and a snack.