Kalapana Lookout is a viewpoint in Puna, in the Pahoa area. During a long eruption from the Kūpaianaha vent on Kīlauea, lava reached Kalapana and buried the entire town within a few months. The flows also filled Kaimū Bay, once known for its black sand beach and coconut grove, and left a lava plain reaching beyond the old shoreline. USGS photos of the lava flow field in Kalapana record that the Mauna Kea Congregational Church burned down, and some of the people whose land was covered had lived there for generations.
Good to know
Lava plain where Kaimū Bay was
Town of Kalapana buried by lava
Getting there
Kalapana LookoutKalapana - Kapoho Rd, Hawaii 96778, USA