Chain of Craters Road
Kīlauea summit → Hōlei Sea Arch, HI · ~19 miles one-way · half day
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
Chain of Craters Road drops about 3,700 feet from the Kīlauea summit down the volcano’s East Rift to the Pacific, entirely within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park — past pit craters and old lava flows to sea cliffs, ending where eruptions buried the road itself.
Good to know: A park entrance fee applies and there’s no food, water, or fuel on the road — fill up first. Eruptions or vog can close it on short notice; check the NPS alerts before you go.
Updated July 2026.
From a volcano summit to the sea.
One road carries you from a steaming volcanic summit through raw lava fields to a wave-battered sea arch — and stops abruptly where the volcano reclaimed the pavement.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
The best stops on the Chain of Craters Road are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Kīlauea summit, Maunaulu, Puʻuloa Petroglyphs, Hōlei Sea Arch, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Kīlauea summitthe high start in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park — open the stop guideHI
02Maunauluan overlook of lava flows that crossed the road in the 1970s — open the stop guideHI
03Puʻuloa Petroglyphsa boardwalk to one of Hawaiʻi’s largest petroglyph fields — open the stop guideHI
04Hōlei Sea Archa 90-foot lava arch above the surf near the road’s end — open the stop guideHI
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the Chain of Craters Road are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Hilo Bay Cafe, Ken's House of Pancakes, Cafe Ono, Eagles Lighthouse Cafe.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Hilo Bay Cafe
Polished Hilo dinner on the bay, the strongest city-side choice before or after a full Hawaii Volcanoes and Chain of Craters day.
- Ken's House of Pancakes
A Hilo comfort-food stop before or after the Volcanoes National Park loop.
- Cafe Ono
Garden cafe in Volcano Village with vegetarian plates, soups, and desserts, a gentle counterweight to heavier Chain of Craters road food.
- Eagles Lighthouse Cafe
A practical Volcano Village breakfast and lunch stop before the Chain of Craters Road day gets sparse.
- Kilauea Lodge Restaurant
A Volcano Village dinner stop for travelers staying near the park after the lava-road drive.
- Lava Rock Cafe
A Volcano Village cafe for breakfast, burgers, and a simple dinner before or after Chain of Craters Road.
- Ohelo Cafe
A Volcano Village dinner pick for turning the Hawaii Volcanoes park day into a proper evening instead of driving back hungry.
- Thai Thai Bistro and Bar
A Volcano Village Thai stop for the Chain of Craters Road day, especially useful after the park road when dinner options are few.
Build a trip around Chain of Craters Road drive.
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Stay & experience
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Things to do near Chain of Craters Road
Browse guided tours and bookable activities that fit this stop.
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