GUNUNG · Amerika Serikat (Pulau Hawaiʻi/Big Island)

Kīlauea

Kīlauea (Hawaii: "memuntahkan/menyebar")

Information

Elevation: 1.247 m
Country: Amerika Serikat (Pulau Hawaiʻi/Big Island) (US)
Location / Range: Pulau Hawaiʻi (Big Island) — Taman Nasional Gunung Berapi Hawaiʻi (Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park)
Mountain type: Gunung berapi perisai aktif — salah satu gunung berapi paling aktif di dunia, dengan kaldera puncak dan kawah samping Kīlauea Iki, di dalam Taman Nasional Gunung Berapi Hawaiʻi
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: 19.4211, -155.2868
Difficulty: Sedang. Jalur populer Kīlauea Iki menuruni ~120 m ke dasar kawah lalu naik kembali; tidak teknis tetapi medan lava terbuka bisa panas dan tanjakan balik melelahkan
Best Season: Sepanjang tahun, tetapi sangat tergantung status erupsi dan penutupan jalur oleh NPS. Sisi puncak sering berhujan dan berkabut
Permits & Rules: Tiket masuk taman nasional wajib. Tidak perlu izin khusus untuk hiking harian Kīlauea Iki, tetapi area di sekitar erupsi aktif kerap ditutup — patuhi penutupan dan info terkini NPS/USGS
Hazards: Aktivitas vulkanik aktif (sejak Desember 2024 terjadi erupsi episodik dengan air mancur lava) sehingga banyak ruas jalur dan tepi kaldera ditutup; gas vulkanik (vog/SO2) berbahaya bagi pernapasan; medan lava tajam dan retakan; uap panas dari dasar kawah; cuaca puncak berubah cepat. Selalu cek penutupan terbaru

Description

Kīlauea (1,247 m) is a shield volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi and one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, the heart of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Unlike a tall snow-capped peak, Kīlauea's appeal is its living volcanic landscape: a summit caldera that often erupts, young lava fields, and rainforest along its rim. The most iconic hike is the Kīlauea Iki trail, a side crater that in 1959 became a glowing lava lake with fountains hundreds of metres high. Hikers descend through dense rainforest on the crater rim, then cross the now-solidified but still-steaming crater floor past the Puʻu Puaʻi cinder cone. Because the volcano is genuinely active, access shifts constantly: since December 2024 a series of episodic eruptions with lava fountains has occurred in the caldera, closing parts of trails and overlooks for safety. Visitors must follow current closures and information from the NPS and USGS.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Crater Rim Trail (ruas tepi kaldera)

Sedang — sebagian ruas kerap ditutup karena erupsi aktif

Bervariasi; ruas pendek beberapa jam

Jalur yang dulunya mengelilingi kaldera puncak Kīlauea; kini sebagian besar ditutup akibat siklus erupsi sejak 2024. Ruas yang masih dibuka, seperti dari area Visitor Center menuju Kīlauea Overlook, menawarkan pandang ke kaldera dan kepulan vulkanik. Status buka-tutup berubah cepat — wajib cek info terbaru NPS sebelum berangkat.

Source

Kīlauea Iki Trail (lingkaran)

Sedang — non-teknis; penurunan ~120 m ke dasar kawah dan naik kembali

±2–3 jam, lingkaran

Jalur hiking paling ikonik di Kīlauea: lingkaran sekitar 5–6,4 km yang menuruni hutan hujan di tepi kawah samping Kīlauea Iki, menyeberangi lantai kawah bekas danau lava 1959 yang kini membeku tetapi masih berkepul uap, melewati kerucut sinder Puʻu Puaʻi, lalu kembali naik ke tepi. NPS menyarankan membawa air dan mematuhi penanda ahu (tumpukan batu) di dasar kawah.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Kīlauea experiences almost always centre on the Kīlauea Iki trail — descending dense rainforest to the 1959 lava crater floor and crossing it. Vlogs and blogs describe the dramatic contrast between lush hāpuʻu ferns on the rim and the solidified, still-steaming lava floor below, with the Puʻu Puaʻi cone as a backdrop. Many stress the relatively short loop but noticeable climb back out, the need for an early start and water, and warnings to obey closures from active eruptions. The official NPS source gives distances and safety detail.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.