Steam Vents Trail

Flat, easy walk gets you up close and personal with a volcano

As the name of this particular trail suggests, hikers are able to view a result of the nearby and still-very-active Kilauea Volcano: steam vents emanating from the lava-churning machine. 

This hike is mere steps away from its own auxiliary parking lot and just minutes from the Jagger Museum, and is relatively flat.

The vents billow when ground water seeps down to the hot volcanic rocks and generates continuous plumes of steam. 

Just a few feet below the surface, the ground is so hot that tree roots can’t survive; exercise caution and remain behind the railings and barriers at the park.