“The greater part of the vast floor of the desert under us was as black as ink, and apparently smooth and level; but over a mile square of it was ringed and streaked and striped with a thousand branching streams of liquid and gorgeously brilliant fire!”
Mark Twain during his visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 1866
So you’ve vacationed to the Big Island, and the first thing on your mind was, let’s go check out some volcanoes? Well, probably not, but you should make some room in your itinerary for this extraordinary feat of nature. Trade-in a day of pristine white sand beaches and journey to the fires of the earth!
Top Things To Do In Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
5. Thurston Lava Tubes
Here you can explore the famous Thurston Lava Tubes. The trail is easy and will lead you through some beautiful Hawaiian rainforest before it drops you into the illuminated tunnel. Stroll through the tube and imagine all the lava that flowed through right where you are standing.
4. Hike / Camp
There are many campgrounds scattered throughout this national park. I guess if sleeping near an actively erupting volcano is your thing, this will be perfect for you. We didn’t elect to camp here, but we did take advantage of the many trails throughout the park. Our favorite hike was the Kīlauea Iki Hike. It’s a short 4-mile hike, and we recommend going counterclockwise.
Where to Park?
Park at the overlook and follow the signs for the crater rim trail. This excellent hike will take you down to the crater of a volcano formed less than 60 years ago! Travel along the path that leads you through charred earth. Scattered throughout the black are pops of color. Some beautiful flowers were pushing their way up through the black crater floor.
3. Take a Drive
Lots of the sights in this park are pretty spread out, but they are worth it. I’d say one of the most scenic drives on the big island is right here in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Chain of Craters Road Tour is a definite must! The road will lead you through the park and past some fantastic overlooks. The drive ultimately takes you back to the sea, where you can catch some spectacular views.
2. Take Flight
A helicopter tour isn’t part of the park perse, but I still definitely recommend it. As long as the volcano is erupting, most companies will take you right over the action. The tour is pretty pricy, but hey, you’re on vacation, so splurge a little. We went with Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours.
Time for takeoff!
We took off from the west side of the island, landed at a waterfall, AND got to see an erupting volcano from a view few get to see. You also have the option of buying your flight video. You get an edited video with footage from inside and outside the helicopter, and you can see/hear your conversations throughout the whole flight. Overall the flight was around an hour, but the memories last forever!
1. See some Lava!
If you choose not to do the helicopter, there are still plenty of options to see some lava. You can book a guided tour on foot and hike as close as you can get to see the lava up close and personal. There are also boat tours available to see where this fiery red monster meets the cold blue sea. Either way, this is something I think everyone should see.
Where To Stay Near Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
The Big Island is massive. However, it’s not so big that you can’t get around it in a day. If you are staying on the island, wherever your hotel or Airbnb is at is probably close enough. The park is located on the southern end of the island. Even from clear on the other side of the island, you only look at a 2-hour drive.
Things To Remember In Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
1. Hydration
- If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated—plan on having 1 gallon of water for every person per day if you are hiking.
2. Follow the signs
- If the signs tell you to stay on the trail, you should stay on the path. The ecosystem is very fragile and can easily be damaged. Make sure that future generations will be able to experience incredible sights as well.
- If a sign says, “don’t feed the animals,” then don’t. Feeding wild animals harm their overall health. It also makes animals more likely to come up to cars, which leads to more animals getting killed by cars.
3. Leave your four-legged friends at home
- While dogs are allowed in the campground, dogs are not permitted on the trails. If a ranger sees you trying to take your dog on a trail, they will turn you around.
4. Leave No Trace
- As the saying goes, “Leave only Footsteps.” Don’t spoil the landscape with your trash. It wasn’t there when you got there, so pack it out with you. Leave no trace also means that you should leave the environment as it is. It is illegal to remove anything from the park, including plants, artifacts, and even rocks.
5. Be sure to wear clothing and footwear suitable for your adventure.
- Make sure your shoes still have traction.
- If you are hiking on the old lava lake, don’t wear flip flops. The rocks are sharp and will cut up your feet
6. You are at a volcano
- If the volcano is erupting, there is almost guaranteed to be VOG. The VOG is a haze produced by the volcano itself. Depending on the weather, the VOG may make it quite challenging to see.
7. Look at the weather ahead of time
- If you don’t have VOG to deal with, you may have to deal with FOG. The first time we went to the park, we couldn’t see 10 feet beyond our windshield. We called it early, as there wasn’t much to see through all the fog. Check the weather in the area before heading out. You may have to change your plans.
8. Always be ready
- The park is an active volcanic area, and things can change at any minute. Be prepared and listen to park rangers if needed
Other Cool Things in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park That Didn’t Quite Make The List
Backpacking – There are many trails to hike and some of which require a little extra time.
Halema’uma’u crater overlook – One of the more popular things in the park. If you stick around till dark, you can see the glow of the lava from a safe distance if getting up close and personal isn’t your thing.
Park Visitor Center – Here you can find all the park’s facts and history, see how they track when the next eruption is, and check out the steam vents.
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TL;DR
Top Things To Do:
Walk the Lava Tubes, Hike the crater floor, drive the chain of craters road, see the lava by air/sea/land.
Get More Info
Get more info from the source at https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm
Check out my other blog reviews of National Parks!
There is a cute little winery near the park as well. 🍷☺️
That’s good to know!