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Exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island is the home of Hawaii's active Kilauea volcano. Visitors can explore the parks' diverse ecosystems and amazing history by visiting an informative visitors center, a museum, an observatory, taking a 51-mile round trip self guided driving tour, hiking/walking 150-miles of trails, and by camping. Admission to the park is $10 per car for a 7 day pass.

The islands of Hawaii are very unique from other volcanoes around the world because the hot spot in the Pacific Plate that is feeding the active volcano of the Big Island is the same hot spot that created ALL the islands in the Hawaiian Island chain. As the Pacific plate moves towards Asia each island was slowly formed, each one taking millions of years to create. The oldest Hawaiian Island is Kauai which is estimated at 6 million years old. The oldest part of the Big Island is just a half million years old.

The active volcano in Volcanoes National Park does not normally shoot molten magma high into the air with massive explosions. This did occur frequently from 1983, when the current lava flow first erupted, to the early 1990's. Since the early 1990's there have been infrequent violent eruption displays. The molten magma has flowed non-stop since 1983 with the flow currently traveling from the Kilauea caldera to Pu'u O'o vent through lava tubes.  

Lava tubes are tunnel-like channels of hardened lava that the molten magma travels through. Flowing magma is best viewed from a helicopter where breaks in the thin hardened lava crust, called skylights, offer views of the magma flowing through the lava tubes as well as views of above ground flows. 

Volcanoes National Park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As you enter the park the Visitors Center is on the right and offers informative literature about the park and a free eruption movie shown hourly, 9am-4pm. There are Park Rangers on duty at the Visitors Center to answer your questions and give you details about park hiking and camping options. If you wish to camp you must register with the Park Rangers at the Visitor Center. The Visitors Center is open daily from 7:45am-5pm. Ranger-guided hikes and activities are available, check at the Visitor Center for details on what is going on when you visit.

The most popular way to explore Volcanoes National Park is by driving the 49-mile round trip tour around Crater Rim Drive and along Chain of Craters Road. The drive takes about an hour if you make no stops but is is really at least a one to seven day adventure because there is so much to see and explore. 

There are no service stations inside Volcanoes National Park so it is important that the gas tank is at least 3/4 full and you bring your own refreshments. There is a gas station and convenience store a mile from the park entrance at Volcano Village. Stop there for fuel, food, water, sunscreen, and other supplies prior to going into the park. Your last stop for snacks and supplies (but NO FUEL) is at the Volcano House Inn located across from the Visitor Center inside the park. 

After you have stopped at the Visitor Center you will begin your adventure along Crater Rim Road. Crater Rim Road is an 11-mile loop drive and can take 1 to 3 hours to explore depending on frequency and length of your stops. The first signs of volcanic activity you see are sulfur and steam vents along the road side. These areas can be dangerous to pregnant women, children, and people with respiratory problems due to the fumes released from the vents. You can tell a sulfur vent from a steam vent in two ways. At a sulfur vent the surrounding rocks are stained yellow and the air stinks like rotten eggs! 

There are several great walking trails under a half mile through this area of unique forest area and along the crater rim that will give you different views into Kilauea Crater as well as of steam vents and sulfur vents.

Along Crater Rim Road there is the very informative Jaggar Museum which explains how the volcanoes in the park are studied. The museum is located on the rim of Kilauea Caldera and offers an observatory that gives a breath taking view of the entire crater rim. The crater within Kilauea Caldera is Halema'uma'u Crater. From 1823-1924 this crater held a bubbling lava lake. In 1924 the lake completely drained of molten lava when a rapid run off occurred into a subterranean network of lava tubes.

Kilauea Iki Crater is also located in the Kilauea Caldera. There is a 4 mile loop trail that descends 400' through native rain forest into the crater and across a frozen lava lake that is still steaming from a 1959 eruption.  

In the same area as the Kilauea Iki Crater is a non-active 400 foot long lava tube called the Thurston Lava Tube. There is a half mile trail that leads through a lush rainforest and the 500-year old lava cave. This area is one of the areas to find rare happy faced spiders and with all the Ohia trees around, which honeycreepers love, it is also a great area for bird watching. 

Click here to continue your adventure down Chain of Craters Road    

Click here to find out about hiking at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

All photos are copyrighted by Mike & Kim Crinella, A Friend in the Islands, at www.alohafriends.com

PLEASE NOTE: Prices for island activities featured within our site are NOT guaranteed. Since we are not affiliated with any of the activity providers we are not notified if services or prices change. You will need to contact the activity provider directly for a current price quote and for availability information.