Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on The Big Island of Hawaii
Written: Aug 05 '02 (Updated Apr 01 '03)
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Pros: A lot to see and do for everyone even if the lava is not flowing.
Cons: The lava may not be flowing.
The Bottom Line: This is a must do. If the lava is flowing, that is frosting, nuts with a cherry on top addition to a wonderful National Park.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park |
The Big Island of Hawaii was our third stop in our 3-week vacation to this state. We visited Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on our second day here.
Some background information
I wanted to write this now because if you have been following the news, there is major lava activity from the most recent eruption in 1982 at the Pu’u “O’O vent on Kilauea. We were lucky enough to be in the Park when this activity began and were told by rangers that they had not seen the lava flowing as much in 2 years and that the general activity had not been as great in 5 years. So being there then was very exciting and if you are ever planning on going to The Big Island, now is the time. But there is a lot more in this Park to do and see but I can’t downplay what it was like to see the lava flowing. If you would like to see a picture I took at night, go here http://groups.msn.com/EpinionsforHealth, click on pictures and Jo's album. That is a real life picture.
About the Park
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is located on the southeastern part of the island. If you are staying where we stayed, in Kailua-Kona, it is about a 100-mile drive. It took us over 2 hours. It is about 30 miles from Hilo and my recommendation is to stay in Hilo the night you go to the Park and then go back to the Park the next day. There is so much to do here, we only hit the tip of the iceberg and we spent well over 12 hours here!
The Kilauea Visitor Center, just off Highway 11 is open daily from 7:45am – 5:00pm year round but we could have stayed in the park all night at the end of Crater Chain Road watching the lava flowing. You can find out about the eruptions on the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov. Kilauea is the currently erupting volcano. Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984 and is considered active. You can also get updates via the Park’s hotline at 808-985-6000 as well as where you are staying, most likely. My first hand experience, though, will tell you that the lava flow changes minute by minute and the only real, current and correct information will be at the Visitor’s Center where you will stop before you do anything else. It costs $10.00 per vehicle and that is good for 1 week.
We left our hotel at 5:45. Get a really early start. If you get there by 8:00ish, the rangers are really open to talking with you. One told us they like it when people come early because it shows they are serious about the Park. But before I go on, if you are not mobile, don’t let that stop you. There is a 40-mile roundtrip drive (which includes Chain of Craters Road)which, with some stops, may take you around 3 or more hours. Crater Rim Drive alone is only 11 miles and if you aren’t mobile you’ll find well-marked scenic stops and short walks. There is no food, water or gasoline available so make sure you have gas and bring food with you. We didn’t plan ahead very well and to say we were hungry by nighttime is an understatement. We did have plenty of water, though.
Volcano House is acoss from the Visitor Center. It is a hotel as well as a restaurant with a gift shop. We went there a couple of times during the day and one problem is by the end of the day they were out of mostly everything to eat except candy bars.
Because we were there so early the rangers were more than happy to give us some insights that I don’t think everyone gets regarding which hikes are best and when to go to Chain of Craters Road. There is also a short video, which you should watch, and other movies and presentations throughout the day, which we didn’t stay to see. There are many sites, which are accessible for people with disabilities – this Park is the reason to go to The Big Island, in my opinion, so don’t miss it, please!
There are few restrooms: The three I know of exist at the visitor center, (Which is very clean and nice.); at Volcano House; and at the end of the Chain of Craters Road. (Be prepared to use porta-toilets)
What to bring
The above is a good segue into what to bring other than food and water. If you are planning on doing anything other than visiting the Park on Crater Rim Drive, which by the way descends 3700 feet to the coast and ends where lava blocked the road in 1995, you will need:
-A flashlight for each person
-A windbreaker with a hood in case it rains. It poured while we were out and luckily had one with us in our backpack if for no other reason than to protect our cameras.
-Camera(s) and lots of film
-Binoculars if you have them.
-Hiking boots or sneakers
-A hat
-Sunscreen
-Bring an extra change of clothes, including pants and something warm in case it is chilly.
What to do and what you will see at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
1. There are over 150 miles of trails in the park. Make sure you get a guide to Hiking Park Trails. at the Visitor Center. The ranger suggested several to us as will guide books. We did one major hike, which I will tell you about later and it is a highly recommended one in some guidebooks.
2. There are 2 campgrounds, which are wheel chair accessible. It is on a first come first serve basis. It is free and limited to seven days a year.
3. You will see and smell Sulphur Banks (if you want). This happens when “hydrogen sulphide gas and steam form deposits of sulphur, gypsum and hematite on the ground." (From Hawaii, The Big Island Revealed by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman (a must have book). There are signs cautioning people who have heart problems, are pregnant or have respiratory problems not to go. My husband has asthma and he had no problem with the sulphur, but that will be your call.
4. The Steam Vents are really quite a phenomenon. This happens when rain seeps into the ground and gets heated by Kilauea and comes out as steam. It is really a site to see!
5. We did all the must sees including Jagger Museum, all the overlooks and a short paved walk called Devastation Trail named for the devastation that happened during the Kilauea Iki’s 1959 eruption. That one is considered easy, is a 1 mile round trip walk and is great if you have a stroller or are in a wheelchair.
6. Thurston Lava Tube is considered a must see by many. It is a natural lava tube, which is indicative of how lava travels. Most of it is really easy walking and well lit. You can then leave or continue but will need a flashlight because it is pitch dark. We did not continue because we were anxious to get on to our hike and the lava.
7. From the overlooks you will see the trail called Kilauea Iki. You look down on what looks like a flat surface (It is the top of the crater.) and can actually see what looks like a path. This is the hike we took. It is considered moderate to challenging, it makes a 4-mile loop and took us about 2 1/2 hours. We were told to give ourselves between 2-3 hours. If you can do this, do it. It is a once in a lifetime experience.
Some information about it, though, that you may not read in the guidebooks. First, you are told to bring water, but that is not a joke. Bring water – I cannot say it strongly enough. This is totally desolate and you can disappear here for days without being found. We did come across perhaps 6-8 others during that time so I guess we would have been found on that day! It was very dry and hot the day we were there but it can get wet and windy so be prepared. You will descend 400 feet through beautiful, beautiful rain forest and then cross the crater floor, pass Pu’u Cinder Cone but you will then return via the crater’s rim which means you have to go up what you came down. The steam vents were everywhere and as we approached the end and turned around the view was amazing, spectacular, and awesome! I had never seen anything like it. Another word of caution: That path that looks flat and clear from way up high isn’t. In fact at times there appeared not to be a path at all and though some of the crater floor is fairly smooth, much of it is not. You will be climbing over lava rocks and hopping over splits in the crater floor so this is not for the timid or one who has not been on a treadmill recently. But if you don’t fall into that category please do this hike and let me know what you thought!
8. On this particular day Chain of Craters Road, which is 20 miles long, was closed until 6:00pm. You will not know from one day to the next what the story will be so find out and get to the beginning of this road at least an hour before whatever time it is that you can get through. There were about 100 cars behind us – we got there early. What we saw, we didn’t expect to see although we knew the lava was flowing. Actually seeing it and knowing about it are very different experiences. It was still light when we parked our car, went to the bathroom and walked the 1 mile over lava rocks to within 1/8 of a mile to the lava flow. As we watched the lava flow changed minute by minute and more flows began and the two main ones merged – it was incredible. What we didn’t realize until someone mentioned that the rock many of us were near was hot, was that the lava we were on was only about 5 days old. Looking under some of the rocks, red fire could be seen. The ranger told us one of the biggest accidents is sneakers burning on the lava and getting stuck to it. I can’t stress how careful you must be.
There will be illuminated reflectors. Follow them. Don’t leave that path, as tempted as you might be to get a closer look at a glowing rocks. I have to take great exception with the book I highly recommended above. The authors tell you how to get to the vent where the lava starts. There are many places in their books where their suggestions are dangerous. I feel this particular one is negligent, truthfully. No one was stopping us from getting even closer to the flow except the flow itself. It was too hot and the rocks too precarious. Risking your life is not worth it. Believe me, what you will see from 1/8 of a mile will be enough to last you a lifetime.
We headed back in the dark. It isn’t that I am telling you not to. You may have to but be aware that the lava rocks are sharp. We saw one young woman who had fallen and was cut up pretty badly. There are rangers here so this is not an area you will be stranded with no help, but try not to fall! Even with the reflectors and our flashlights it was hard to see. There are no other lights except that being cast from the lava flow. It took us about 25 minutes to get to the flow walking 1 mile and about an hour going back. It started to rain making it even more difficult. Truly the 1 hour felt like 3 and I must admit seeing our car was one of the happier moments of my trip to The Big Island!
My final thoughts
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is more than slightly unique because it is situated on 2 active volcanoes – it is highly unique and although The Big Island was my least favorite island, this Park made it worthwhile. Again I recommend you stay in Hilo so you can spend more than just 1 day in the Park. We could have gone back another day but 2 1/2 hours each way is a lot of driving to do so if you decide not to stay in Hilo be prepared for a long day. We arrived at our hotel at about 1:30am.
As I read somewhere, this is not Disney World. The lava may not be flowing. We could have done many more terrific hikes, so don't let that stop you plus you never know - it can start flowing at any time.
The crowds varied depending on where we were. There were a lot of people watching the lava, but a front row seat was easily available! Most places we were we only came into contact with a few people, but the crowds will depend on where you are and when you go.
We never saw the Nene (The Hawaiian Goose) the entire time we were in Hawaii but if you do, they are endangered so don’t feed them and be careful of them in the roads. As tempting as it will be to take a piece of lava rock, it is prohibited (and that includes sand, minerals and plants). Leave everything as you found it so we can all enjoy what you have enjoyed.
Some of this material that I would not have memorized, especially the spelling of the Hawaiian names has come from the National Park Brochure.
Feel free to leave me a comment or ask any questions. Other Hawaii reviews you may be interested in:
Traveling to Hawaii on a Budget
The Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel
Aloha Airlines
Garden Gate Bed and Breakfast in Maui
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LahainaTown Maui
Hana Highway in Maui
Haleakala National Park in Maui
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
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Poipou Beach Area, Kauai
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The Island of Hawaii - The Big Island
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Wailua River State Park in Kauai, Hawaii
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: Anytime
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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