Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii (Big Island)

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So once your in the park I recommend you go down to the end of the road, south of creator rim road. You’ll notice that the road ends. There you can see red lava flow. The road used to pass by, but in 2003 lava flowed over the road and blocked off the passage. Well walking to the lava flow you will see street signs that are engulfed by the lava. There is a ranger station, which will warn you of all the hazards related to watching the lava. Once at this small ranger station, you can begin your walk to the lava. The train is very uneven and slippery. It was about an hour walk each way to see the lava up close. Now the flows are always moving, so once at the smaller station, reed the sign that will tell you exactly how far away the lava is. Also this area contains a lava arch, which is an arch that water flows through at the waters edge. Don’t miss it, you will see signs for it at this small station.

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Volcano National Park is a must see National Park. There are so many amazing things to see here from the craters to the lava tube to the petroglyphs to the exotic forest to the live lava flow.

The hike to the lava flow was a tough and long journey. We had to hike 3 miles over a lava field (difficult terrain to hike across) which took over 2 hours. However, when we finally reached the lava flow it was truely amazing and well worth the trek. It is really amazing to see the lava flowing out of the ground, solidifying and dropping into the ocean. The lava flow changes every day, so it is best to stop by the National Park Information Center as soon as you enter to find where the flow is on that day.

A trip to the Big Island would not be complete without visiting this amazing place.

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The Petroglyphs of Hawaii are ancient Polynesian rock carvings.
Kilauea volcano contains Hawaii's most extensive collection of Petroglyphs.

It is a 1 1/2 mile round trip walk to view the Petroglyphs. You walk around a circular wooden boardwalk around them. There are thousands of Petroglyphs, representing everything from birth to death. The holes bored in the rock were usually cut by the parents who placed the umbilical cords from their newborns there for good luck. The area is very peaceful and worth your time if you want to see a direct expression of ancient Hawaiian life.

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At the end of the Chain of Craters Road, you must pull over and stop. The road blocks and old Lava flows prevent you from driving any further. You have two options, either walk to the lava flow (you MUST check with the Ranger to see if it is safe & what you need to prepare yourself for the long walk) or walk to the viewpoint about a mile away. If you arrive when it is almost dark, you MUST have a flashlight so you can safely make your way back over the uneven and dangerous old Lava rock.
Is it worth the trip? YES! I don't have a good zoom, but was impressed with how close I could see the lava entering the ocean. It was fascinating!!!

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If you are interested in walking all the way out to the lava then get a somewhat early start. Because when it gets dark, it gets dark. Also make sure to bring lots of water and a flash light, just in case. The sun radiating off the lava is very hot. Unfortunately I did not get to see the lava up close because of a late start.

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If you want to see the lava flow up close, without hiking to the edge of the sea, there are tours that take people directly to the site where the lava meets the ocean. We found a local guide, Jason, who took us to see the flow, and it was incredible. I highly recommend his services, and he is reasonably priced. We left mid-day, and approached the shelf where the lava was pouring into the ocean just before sunset. It was great to see this as the light was diminishing, as the colors became more intense with the setting of the sun. I will never forget the feeling of awe and power of this creation, as this volcano is one of the marvels of the world. Overall, the big island was a most magical and life-changing experience, and seeing the lava from the perspective of the sea was really neat. Thank you!!

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This was neat to descend into and the drive to get here is 23 miles which is not that far but alot of the road is windy so it takes longer then you would expect. Once you get to the bottom all of a sudden the road stops because it has been covered several times with lava flow that erupted from Kilauea. You will see people walking all over the lava however there is a good chance that you coud fall threw. Another thing to watch for is which way the wind is blowing. Fumes from this area could pose certain hazards to your health but there is a little shack that has current information. Still anything can change at any moment. There are no gas stations on your way down but when you get to the end there is a little snack place were you can get something, at least it was when we were there. Weather here is unpredectible as you will see from the photos that some are really cloudy and some have blue sky. It can also be windy here too.

Another thing to see on your way to the end is the hardened lava that cames over the hills and mountain side. It is really neat to see the free shrubs, gras and vegetation then see these black hardened lava rivers on top.

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One of Hawaii's most notorious and famous National Parks, "Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park" was established in 1916 as a National Park, a International Biosphere Reserve in 1980, and a World Heritage Site in 1987 to demonstrate the history and living geological experiene of volcanism, geology, and techtonics. It covers the creative process of land masses, the science of volcanoes, migration, and evolution of land from the sea. It also covers the complex history of Polynesian travellers and their inhabitation of the Hawaiian Islands. The protective boundaries of the world's most active volcanoes - Kilauea and Mauna Loa provides dramatic and creative volcanic landscapes in action. The National Park encompasses over 520 square miles of land for science, outdoor recreation, and preservation of nature and geology. It is a thriving mecca for observation, tourism, scientific study, hiking, and camping opportunities covering diverse environments ranging from the ocean/beach landscapes, lush tropical rainforests, arrid/barren deserts, and icy mountainous peaks. It hosts active volcanic eruption sites such as the Kilauea Caldera, Pu'u 'O'o vent, and the Eastern Rift Zone. Historically, Kilauea and the Halema'uma'u caldera were considered the sacred home of Pele and traditionally were the location of offerings/sacrifices of gifts to the Goddess. A 1970 explosive eruption demolished a war party in the area killing men, women, and children leaving imprints of footprints in the lava that can be found in the desert. The first European visitors to the volcano were English missionaries William Ellis and American Asa Thurston in 1823 contributing greatly to the written word, publications, poems, literature and art that focused on the area that is now a National Park. More tourists were attracted to the area in the 1840's settling entrepreneurs building hotels in the area from 1891 to 1904. In 1903, William R. Castle proposed the idea of making a park out of the area. In 1908 Thurston entertained James Rudolph Garfield, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior at the time, as well as a congressional delegation in 1909. By 1911, Governor Walter F. Frear drafted a bill to create "Kilauea National Park". Boundary disputes stalled the idea, but by 1916 House Resolution 9525 signed by Woodrow Wilson made "Hawaii National Park" the 11th National Park in the United States. In 1960 it was split from the Haleakala National Park that it was a percentage part of. By 2004, an additional 115,788 acres were added to the Park (formerly of Kahuku Ranch) creating the largest land acquisition in Hawaiian history for 21.9 million dollars. A major explosion on March 19, 2008 sent debris over 74 acres damaging the Halema'uma'u overlook. A 1,100 ft lava tube on the park grounds was named after the Thurston family as "Thurston Lava Tube". Several other hotspots of interest were developed in the Park such as the 1790 Footprints, the Ainapo Trail, Kilauea Caldera Crater, Puna-Ka'u Historic District, Ainahou Ranch, Volcano House, Whitney Seismograph Vault No. 29, Wilkes Campsite, art galleries, Thomas Jaggar Museum, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Bookstore, Gift Shop, Kilauea Military Camp, and the Visitor Center. Directions: The main entrance is located off the Hawaii Belt Road in Volcano, Big Island. From the Hawaii Belt Road, one used to be able to take the Chain of Craters Road past several craters to the coast near the town of Kalapana, but recent lava flows and eruptions have demolished the roads near the coastal zone. The park is one of America's best National Parks.