If you have a fascination with volcanoes, you'll love visitng the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. If you're like most people, you might visit the scenic lookouts along Crater Rim drive. However, you may want to take a look at a second route through the scenic Hawaii countryside. The Chain of Craters Road begins at Crater Rim Drive, at 4,000 feet high, and curves down the mountain for nineteen miles. Forty-five minutes later you can process everything you just saw at the ocean as the waves crash against the beach.
The road is paved and two lanes, so any car can make the trek. Along the route, you will pass by many craters (hence the name Chain of Craters Road). You may want to stop around mile marker sixteen, where you can park and walk the one and a half mile round trip hike that looks over old lava flow and thousands of petroglyphs (Hawaiian rock carvings). When you get to the end of the road, you'll know it: Chain of Craters Road dead ends where lava flowed over the road and hardened.
If you want to feel the ancient past and ruggedness of Hawaii, you will want to take this trip!