Planning a trip to see volcanoes on the Big Island? Then we've got you covered! Below we share information about the park, things to do on your visit, our experiences, and more.
***We visited Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in December 2020; the below information is based on things open in the park during Covid restrictions & following the most recent eruption.***
When planning our trip to the Big Island, visiting Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park was a must! Although we planned to visit the park on two separate days, we only managed to fit in one day during our time on the island. Due to Covid restrictions and the eruption of Halema'uma'u crater, we could not visit everything the park offers. We still enjoyed some of the park's highlights visiting the steam vents, viewing several craters, and hiking down into the Kileau Iki Crater.
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A Little About Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is located on the Island of Hawaii, aka Big Island. The park was established on August 1, 1916 and is one of two National Parks located in Hawaii, the other being Haleakala on Maui. The Big Island is home to five volcanoes, two of which are located in the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park; Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Mauna Loa and Kilauea are considered to be two of the world's most active volcanoes.
You have probably heard of the most recent Hawaii Volcano eruption occurring on December 20, 2020, at the Halema'uma'u crater at the summit of Kilauea. We visited the park two days before this eruption and stood at the Kilauea caldera lookout where the eruption took place. Although we ran out of time to return to see the volcano in action, we were told by several locals that the best time to visit the volcano is at night to see the orange glow.
Before the most recent eruption, Kilauea previously erupted in 2018. From May 2018-August 2018, lava flowed throughout the southeast portion of the park, forcing thousands to evacuate, destroying 700+homes, and numbers of earthquakes caused the collapse of the Kilauea caldera. The 2018 eruption has proved to be much more destructive than the most recent eruption currently confined to a lava lake in the Halema'uma'u Crater.
Be sure to check the park's website for any closures and current conditions before your visit! The park costs $25/car to enter or is free for active duty military. (Side note: All National Parks are free for active-duty military.) If you are not military but enjoy visiting National Parks, it may be worth it to get the America the Beautiful Pass, which gets you access to all of the US National Parks, National Forests, and more for $80/year.
Getting To Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
The park is located in the southeastern part of the Big Island in a region called Puna. If you are visiting from Hilo, the drive is around 45 minutes, and if you are visiting from Kailua-Kona, the drive is about 2 hours.
While most guests visit the park from Hilo or Kona, there are several unique options to stay inside the park.
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What To Bring On Your Day Trip
-Water and snacks
-Hat and sunscreen
-Hiking shoes or tennis shoes with good grip
-Rain jacket
-National Parks Passport or Membership Card
Things To Do At Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is huge, and there is plenty to do and see, but if you only have one day to spend at the park, below is a list of the top things to do! While it is easy to fill an entire day or two at the park, it is also possible to visit the top things in a little over half a day if you prioritize.
Hike Kilauea Iki Trail
The Kilauea Iki Trail is a 3-mile round trip hike with a 688ft elevation change. The hike begins at the parking area, and there is a fair amount of parking spots available; however, this trail can become busy, so it is best to arrive earlier in the day. The trail begins at the top of the crater rim and steadily descends to the bottom of the crater. The first half of the trail takes you through a well-maintained path lined with lush Hawaiian vegetation and eventually leads you to the volcano floor. Once you reach the crater floor, you will notice yourself surrounded by various cracks, steam vents, and lava mounds, as well as sporadic vegetation poking its way out from the lava formations. When walking across the crater path, be sure to follow the rock cairns to the other side.
After exploring the crater floor, you will begin ascending back up to the beginning of the trail, a steady climb upstairs, along a well-maintained path. The trail took us about 2 hours to complete, with several rest breaks and extra time exploring the volcano floor. If we were to choose one thing as a must-do during your visit to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, it would be this hike! This was definitely a highlight for us, and when else will you have the opportunity to walk across the floor of a volcano?!
Crater Rim Drive w/ Steam Vents & Sulphur Banks
Although Crater Rim Drive is currently blocked in several sections of the park due to the 2018 eruption; we were still able to park and walk along a portion of the path to see the steam vents, sulphur banks, and several lookout points, including Kilauea Crater.
Kilauea Caldera Lookout (Halema'uma'u crater lava flowing)
Along Crater Rim Drive, we were able to park at the Kilauea Caldera Lookout and view the Halema'uma'u crater before it began spewing lava two days later!
We initially had plans to return to the park to complete the Petroglyphs Trail and view the Holei Sea Arch; however, our plans changed due to the eruption on 12/20/20, and we ran out of time during our stay. We hope to be able to return and visit more of the park on a future trip! Below are more suggestions and activities that the park has to offer:
Visitor Center
During our visit, the Visitor Center was closed due to Covid restrictions. In addition to gathering information and getting your national park book stamped, we have read that the visitor center often offers educational information about the island and the history of the volcanoes. This may be worth a quick visit once it reopens to learn more about Hawaii's volcanic history.
Thurston Lava Tube
Another popular place to visit at the park is the Thurston Lava Tube, which was unfortunately closed during our visit. The lava tubes were created by constant lava flow underneath the surface that eventually stopped when the eruption stopped, leaving behind empty lava caves. The Thurston Lava Tube is over 500 years old and is lit up to tour from 8am-8pm. Be sure to check the park website to see when the Thurston Lava Tube will reopen! To visit another lava tube that's currently open, be sure to check out Kaumana Caves in Hilo.
Drive Along the Chain of Craters Road
Drive along the 18.8-mile road that takes you from the visitor center to the Holei Sea Arch along the coast. There are several popular stops along the Chain of Craters Road, including Mauna Ulu / Pu‘u Huluhulu, Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs, Kealakomo Overlook. As mentioned earlier, we were unable to go back to the park to visit the Holei Sea Arch and Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs trail due to the most recent volcanic eruption. We so wish we could have visited these stops and shared more about the experiences; however, we know these would all be well worth a visit!
If you are looking for other ideas on things to do near Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, check out our Top Things To Do & See On Big Island, Hawaii post.
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