bocastephen

...to the Pu'u O'o vent at Kilauea on the Big Island? We are planning this hike in a few weeks and can't find any updated web info on the trail conditions.

For those not familiar with the hike, info can be found here
and here

zzyzx

Please post your experience after you come back. Very much interested in it to plan my next trip.

bocastephen

We didn't end up hiking the trail for two reasons...it was raining at that altitude, and rain makes this trail a big muddy mess (unless you're into that sort of thing ), and we discovered the road conditions on Glenwood Rd. were somewhat...not friendly to our rental car.

When you turn onto Glenwood Rd South from the highway, the road is paved for awhile, then turns into a rutty, potted gravel road. You can navigate around most of the ruts in just about any car, but the third section closer to the end of the road is a very nasty looking gravel stretch that made our Mustang shudder with pain.

Given the rain was going to make this trail a no-go anyway, we turned back and headed for Kalapana to hike the lava to the ocean entry instead. Good thing....there was no way we could have finished both before sunset without being on the first trail by 9am.

merman

Don't do this trail at all. I am a professional National Park Guide who does not work for the parks. I just got back from doing this hike and it was time not worth spending unless you have extra days.

What you should do is to drive to the end of route 130 before 2pm or after 10pm and hike the 1/4 to 1/2 mile to running lava that you see on TV. The hours of 2-10PM see the area crouded with tourist trap guides who force you to pay them to guide you to the lava. Go early AM and you can hike to PuO'o easier than through the jungle. the jungle on that trail was horrible muddy and stupid