Footprints Area

This short out-and-back crosses some of the most hauntingly barren landscape in all of Hawaii — the Ka'u Desert, where hardened lava flows and wind-scoured ash fields stretch to the horizon with almost nothing growing. The trail is flat, well-marked, and wheelchair accessible, following a paved path to a covered shelter that protects a section of ancient footprints pressed into volcanic ash over two centuries ago. These aren't replicas or interpretive displays — they're the actual impressions left by Native Hawaiians caught in Kilauea's catastrophic 1790 eruption. The shelter's viewing window lets you study the prints up close, and the surrounding desolation drives home just how terrifying that day must have been. History buffs and anyone fascinated by the raw intersection of human life and volcanic fury will find this short walk unforgettable.