Hawaii trails · Crater Rim Trail
Crater Rim Trail
A 7.4-mile out-and-back in Hawaii, with 428 ft of climbing. Reaches Kīlauea and other arch/summit/viewpoint destinations.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 45% of the ascent falls between mile 2.5 and mile 4.9.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Kīlauea (summit)
- Twin Craters (arch)
- Waldron Ledge (viewpoint)
- Kilauea Overlook (viewpoint)
- Kilauea Iki (viewpoint)
- Kilauea Iki 2 (viewpoint)
Getting there
Crater Rim Trail access — parking nearby, restroom, water. 19.42042, -155.28857 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:43 a.m., the sun rises at 6:05 a.m. and sets at 6:36 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:59 p.m. (HST) — 12 h 31 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 14.8-mile round trip takes roughly 5 h 54 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:59 a.m. — 6 h 38 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Spur + Crater Rim Trail + Sulphur Banks Trail — 1.3 mi loop, 86 ft gain
- Crater Rim Trail + Kilauea Iki Trail + Byron Ledge Spur — 2.7 mi loop, 559 ft gain
- Crater Rim Trail + Kilauea Iki Trail — 3.2 mi loop, 799 ft gain
Nearby trails
- N?pau Trail — 6.1 mi
- Ka?? Desert Trail — 6.2 mi
- Keauhou Trail — 8.0 mi
- Mauna Loa Trail — 8.0 mi