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1921 Map of Kilauea

Name: 1921 Topographic Map of Kilauea
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

Hawaii National Park and its surrounding forest reserves dominate this early twentieth-century survey of the Big Island's volcanic heart. The landscape is a complex network of active geology and early colonial infrastructure, centered on the Kilauea crater and the fiery pit of Halemaumau. Near the crater rim, human presence is established through the Volcano House, the Kilauea Museum, and the Kilauea Military Camp. To the west and south, the Kau Desert and various lava flows are crisscrossed by historic routes like the Old Kau-Volcano Trail and the Old Puna-Kau Trail.

Resource extraction and early settlement patterns are visible at the Old Koa Mill and the Wood Valley Homesteads. These small clusters of habitation, including the Kilauea Settlement Lots and various ranches like Kapapala Ranch, represent the precarious balance of industry and agriculture on the slopes of a volcano. The map also records specialized outposts such as the Prison Camp and several seasonal sites including Summer Camp and Church Camp.