The scale of the crater is difficult to appreciate, even when standing on the rim. It's actually about 2720 feet to the floor of the valley. There are a number of wonderful vantage points from which to enjoy the views of the crater. Perhaps the most popular is the area adjacent to the House of the Sun Visitor Center on the west end of the crater at about 9600 feet. The highest peak visible on the east side of the crater is Hanakauhi at 8907 feet.
Clouds obscure the southern and eastern walls of the crater's rim.
A very different perspective is obtained by a trip on one of the trails down into the crater. Below is a view looking up toward the northern rim. One unexpected aspect of a trip into the crater is the many colors of the lava, ash, and rock which present themselves from almost every perspective. The west walls of the crater are rocky and this portion of the crater is dry and desolate. The list of all national park pages currently available can be viewed on the Park Vision main page .