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Hawaii Route 130 and Chain of Craters Road

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Hawaii Route 130 and Chain of Craters Road once formed a loop along the Puna Coast of the Big Island through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  The initial segment Chain of Craters Road opened in 1928 and was extended to Hawaii Route 13 (now Hawaii Route 13) near Kalapana in 1965.  Both corridors have been truncated due to being destroyed by lava flows from the Kilauea volcano during the late 1980s and early 1990s.  Presently Chain of Craters Road has 18.8 miles of accessible roadway.  Hawaii Route 130 is currently open from Hawaii Route 11 near Keaau south to former site of Kalapana.   

The current alignment of Hawaii Route 130 between Hawaii Route 11 and Kalapana can be seen below.  


The current extent of Chain of Craters Road can be seen below.




Part 1; the history Hawaii Route 130 and Chain of Craters Road

Chain of Craters Road was constructed as a modernization of Crockett's Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  The initial roadway corridor dedicated between Crater Rim Drive and Makaopuhi Crater on April 15, 1928.  

The initial extent of Chain of Craters Road can be seen on the 1930 Hilo Chamber of Commerce map of the Big Island.  Crockett's Trail can be seen connecting from Makaopuhi Crater east to Kalapana.  Kalapana is shown connected to Keaau via Pahoa-Kalapana Road and Keaau-Pahoa Road.  


During 1955 the Hawaii Route System was expanded to the Big Island.  The existing highway between Kapaahu (near Kalapana and the National Park boundary) and Keaau was assigned as Hawaii Route 13.  Hawaii Route 13 and Chain of Craters Road can be seen on the 1959 Gousha Highway map of Hawaii.  


During 1965 Chain of Craters Road was extended east of Makaopuhi Crater to Hawaii Route 13 near Kapaahu and Kalapana.  The then newly extended highway can be seen connecting to Hawaii Route 13 on the 1966 United States Geological Survey map of Kalapana.


A significant portion of Chain of Craters Road was destroyed by an eruption out of Maunaulu in 1969.  Hawaii Route 13 was renumbered to Hawaii Route 130 during the 1970s which denoted it as a secondary highway.  Chain of Craters Road (despite being mostly destroyed) appears along with Hawaii Route 130 on the 1975 United States Geological Survey map of Hawaii County.  


Chain of Craters Road was realigned away from the Maunaulu eruption zone and reopened to Hawaii Route 130 during June 1979.  The then new alignment can be seen shifted away from Makaopuhi Crater on the 1981 United States Geological Survey map of Makaopuhi.  



During 1986 Chain of Craters Road was severed again by eruptions from the Kilauea volcano (specially Puuoo Crater).  During June 1989 the ongoing lava flows destroyed the Wahaula Visitor Center near the southern terminus of Hawaii Route 130.  In 1990 Kaimu, Kalapana and a portion of Hawaii Route 130 were destroyed by lava flows.  

In 1999 the original alignment of Hawaii Route 130 in Keaau was renumbered as Hawaii Route 139.  The mainline highway was realigned onto the Keaau-Pahoa Bypass Road.  Hawaii Route 139 was intended to be relinquished to Hawaii County in 2008, but this action was never carried out.  

The current alignments of Hawaii Routes 130 and 139 in Keaau can be seen on the 2017 United States Geological Survey map of Keaau.  


During September/November 2014 Chain of Craters Road was repaired as a one-lane gravel road to the Kalapana area.  The purpose was to provide an evacuation route for traffic facing oncoming lava flows along Hawaii Route 130 in Pahoa.  The flows ultimately stopped, and the repaired portions of Chain of Craters Road have remained closed to non-emergency traffic.  



Part 2; a drive on Chain of Craters Road

Eastbound Chain of Craters Road begins at Crater Rim Drive.  Presently only 18.8 miles of Crater Rim Drive is open to traffic.  



Pictured is the Luamanu Crater which spewed lava across Chain of Craters Road in 1974. 



Chain of Craters Road intersects Hilina Pail Road which accesses the namesake overlook 9 miles to the west.  


South of Hilina Pail Road the Pauahi Crater can be viewed from an overlook along Chain of Craters Road.  This crater erupted last erupted in 1979 and is 300 feet deep.  





The original alignment of Chain of Craters Road towards Makaopuhi Crater is accessible via the Puuhuluhulu Trailhead.  Native Nene (Hawaiian Geese) are easy to find near the trailhead.  






Visible earthquake damage to the Puuhuluhulu Trailhead parking area.  


The Mauna Ulu Lookout from Chain of Craters Road (Josh Schmid photo). 



Chain of Craters Road descending to the ocean (photos by Josh Schmid).  Josh was able to make it to the ocean during July 2024 but was turned around by National Park Service Rangers due to concerns over a possible eruption at Kilauea. 







Part 3; scenes along Hawaii Route 130

The southbound beginning of Hawaii Route 130 in Keaau can be seen below from Hawaii Route 11. 




Hawaii Route 130 south of Pahoa (Josh Schmid photo).


The current southern terminus of Hawaii Route 130 near what was Kalapana.  The gravel road ahead continues as an emergency route towards Chain of Craters Road (Josh Schmid photos).



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