4Kaʻū Desert Trail to Maunaiki, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
This lava desert hike on the Big Island is considered to be only of moderate difficulty. The hike begins roughly 15 minutes out of Volcano Village in the parking area on Highway 11’s south side. The total distance of this hike, out and back, is 3.6 miles. Plan on hiking for two hours.
Highlights here include the Footprints Shelter where you’ll see preserved footprints of Hawaiians who were taken by surprise by a sudden volcanic eruption in 1790. There’s also the Maunaiki lava field where nothing grows on the southwest slope of the planet’s most active volcano, Kīlauea.
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