Nahuku - Thurston Lava Tube, Hawaii, United States
4.5 (1.623 reviews) Spent Ranking #8 in Island of Hawaii Geologic Formations
Favorite part of the Park
This is a cool, short hike. Our group of diverse ages and walking ability all enjoyed it. There's a one-way path you take down, go through the tube (lots of drips, a few puddles), then come out and go back up. The lush rainforest on the way down and up is really lovely. The parking right at the tube site is limited; you're only allowed to park for 30 min. (just enough time) According to our NP app, the time we visited was "as busy as it gets" and we were able to slide into a parking spot without difficulty. The other option is to park at the overlook nearby and hike there.
Address
, Hawaii, United States, Postal Code: 96718.
Mobile
Website
http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/craterrimtour
Current local date and time now
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 1:48
User Ratings
4.5 based on (1.623 reviews)
Reviews
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4AshBernadette88 5:00 PM Feb 28, 2022
Quick Walk, Neat Geological Wonder!
From the Kilauea Iki Trailhead parking lot, a short, half-mile walk through beautiful foliage leads to the Thurston Lava Tube, which was very neat to see! The tube itself was a bit damp and much shorter than I thought it would be, but it's a very easy walk. Placards at the official start to the loop describe how the tube was formed, which was neat to read about before trekking into the tube. Note that, if you choose to park in the lot designated for the Thurston Lava Tube, there is a 30-minute time limit. There are no time limits at the Kilauea Iki parking lot, so I recommend parking there and taking the short walk to the tubes.
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4Nick S 5:00 PM Sep 1, 2021
Very cool hike in a "one of a kind" tunnel
The tunnel is a short walk through a rain forest and down a few stairs in to the lava tube. There is low level lighting giving it a subterranean feel. Unfortunately the Park Service was doing construction at one end of the tube so it was an "out and back" trip. The experience will be much better when the repair work is done and you can walk the entire length of the tube.
