Hawaii trails · Crater Rim Trail
Crater Rim Trail
A 7.6-mile network in Hawaii, with 341 ft of climbing. Reaches Kīlauea and other arch/summit/viewpoint destinations.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the middle third — 59% of the ascent, between mile 2.5 and mile 5.0. It gives back about 520 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
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 October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:53 a.m., the sun rises at 6:15 a.m. and sets at 5:58 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:20 p.m. (HST) — 11 h 43 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 7.6-mile route takes roughly 2 h 58 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 9:13 a.m. — 8 h 45 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Sulphur Banks Trail + Crater Rim Trail + Spur — 1.3 mi loop, 85 ft gain
- Crater Rim Trail + Kilauea Iki Trail + Byron Ledge Spur — 2.7 mi loop, 558 ft gain
- Kilauea Iki Trail + Crater Rim Trail — 3.2 mi loop, 803 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