Just east of Kilauea proper is Kilauea Iki, a relatively small crater which was the site of a violent eruption in 1959. Lava burst from the vent here forming some of the largest lava fountains ever recorded. Ash and pumice piled up south of the crater forming a cinder cone, and a lake of lava filled the crater's bottom. After the short lived eruption the lava lake cooled leaving behind a smooth floor which has slumped somewhat over the intervening years yielding what one sees today.

Lisa and I took a day long hike out to Kilauea Iki from our campsite, down the east side of the crater, across, and up the west side. There we walked along the Devastation trail before we headed back across Kilauea Crater and up its north rim to our campsite at namakani paio.