Chain of Craters Road

• At the end of Chain of Craters road, walk a short distance along the road to see Hōlei Sea Arch.

This stark lava rock formation is about 90 ft. (27.4 meters) high and extends from the steep sea cliffs into the Pacific Ocean.

This formation is beautiful, but temporary, and has a limited life span. The sea arch will eventually crumble into the sea. However, others will replace it as the cliff slowly migrates inland.

This impressive sea arch was cut into the cliff of an ancient lava flow from about 550 years ago due to "differential erosion", referring the difference in the hardness of various layers of lava.

Layer upon layer, and hundreds of seaside cliffs form the shoreline stretching out into the rugged Pacific Ocean. All of the cliffs along the stretch of the National Park are formed from lava flows that have taken place over the past 700 years, the most recent being in 2018.

Music Trivia - the music video from Chris Isaak's Wicked Game was filmed here.