The original Halemaʻumaʻu Overlook off Crater Rim Dr has been closed since 2008 due to ongoing volcanic activity. The next best vantage point is the patio outside the Jaggar Museum. But don't worry, this new viewpoint is still extraordinary: there's absolutely nothing like witnessing a huge smoking volcanic crater or roiling lava lake, especially after dark when the flickering hellfire glow is mesmerizing.
Halemaʻumaʻu is really a crater within the crater of Kilauea Caldera. About 3000ft across and almost 300ft deep, it spews a rising column of volcanic ash and gases, such as sulfur dioxide, which emerges from the great hole and billows into the sky, partly creating the vog (volcanic fog) that increasingly carpets the island (Kilauea's Puʻu ʻOʻo vent adds the rest).
How active Kilauea Volcano will be when you visit is subject to the whims of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes who makes her home here, so don't count on a dramatic lake of fire. It's most advantageous to show up on clear nights after sunset. For more distant views of the crater, visit Volcano House near Kilauea Visitor Center.
