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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
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Orientation
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the “Big Island” of Hawaii, offers the visitor a look at two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa.
More than 4,000 feet [1,219.2 meters] high and still growing, Kilauea abuts the southeastern slope of the older and much larger Mauna Loa, or “long mountain.” Mauna Loa towers some 13,677 feet [4,168.8 meters] above the sea: Measured from its base 18,000 feet [5,486.4 meters] below sea level, it exceeds Mount Everest in height. Mauna Loa’s gently sloping bulk—some 10,000 cubic miles [41,682 cubic kilometers] in volume—makes it the planet’s most massive single mountain.
The park stretches from sea level to Mauna Loa’s summit. Beyond the end of the road lies Mauna Loa’s wilderness area, where the rugged backpacker encounters freezing nights and rough lava trails amid volcanic wonders: barren lava twisted into nightmarish shapes, cinder cones, gaping pits. Kilauea, however, provides easy access to a greater variety of scenery and cultural sites.
On the slopes of Kilauea, whose name means “spreading, much spewing,” patches of vegetation border stark, recent lava flows. This natural laboratory of ecological change displays all stages of forest regeneration—from early regrowth of lichens and ferns to dense forest. The patchwork of lava and greenery gives way to the black Mars-scape of the Kau Desert on the hot, dry southwestern slope. At the shore, waves create lines of jagged cliffs; periodic eruptions send fresh lava flows to meet the sea amid colossal clouds of steam.
Geological dynamism forms the park’s primary natural theme, followed closely by evolutionary biology. Thousands of unique species have evolved on the isolated Hawaiian islands. Cultural sites abound as well, reminders of the Polynesian pioneers who steered their great double-hulled canoes to Hawaii beginning some 1,500 years ago.
The United Nations has named the park both an international biosphere reserve and a world heritage site. Many of the park’s intriguing native plants and animals, however, are in peril, defenseless against alien species including weedy plants and feral goats and pigs.
When to Go
All-year park. The weather is often driest in September and October. The climate ranges from warm and breezy on the coast, to cool and frequently wet at Kilauea, to nightly freezing with occasional snowstorms above about 10,000 feet [3,048 meters] on Mauna Loa. To avoid most tour bus crowds, plan to visit the major sights before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m.
Statistics
- Area: 229,177 acres [92,720.4 hectares]
- Date Established: August 1, 1916
- State: Hawaii
Getting There
By Plane
- Fly to the island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island. Airlines serve the Kona airport from the mainland and from other Hawaiian islands; only interisland flights land in Hilo. From Kona, head south around the island on Hawaii 11 past Kealakekua Bay, where Captain Cook met his death, and Ka Lae, or South Point, southernmost land in the 50 states. You’ll reach the Kilauea summit after a 95-mile [152.9-kilometer] drive on a good road.
From Hilo, Hawaii 11 rises for 30 miles [48.3 kilometers] past small settlements, macadamia orchards, abandoned sugarcane fields, and rain forest, to reach the park at Kilauea’s summit.
How to Visit
An intensive 1-day visit can encompass highlights of the Kilauea summit via Crater Rim Drive and the coastal region via Chain of Craters Road. Regular tours by bus and small van operate daily from many Hilo and Kona hotels. Those with a botanical or ornithological bent will enjoy exploring Mauna Loa Road (accessible from Hawaii 11), which takes you through upland forest to the Mauna Loa Trailhead at 6,660 feet [2,030 meters]. At Kipuka Puaulu bird park, be sure to take the 1-mile [1.6-kilometer] loop trail wending through one of Hawaii’s richest concentrations of native plants and birdlife.
Activities
Free ranger-led activities: nature walks
and talks, slide shows, films, museum exhibits on volcanism. Also, hiking, backcountry
fishing (check park headquarters for regulations), art center, workshops, seminars.
Park Information
Headquarters P.O. Box 52, Hawaii 96718. Phone +1 808 985 6000. Fax +1 808 967 8186.
Seasons & Accessibility Park open year-round. Chain of Craters Road
is closed by lava flow at its eastern end. For eruption bulletins call +1 808 967 7977.
Visitor & Information Centers Kilauea Visitor Center, located just off
Hawaii Hwy. 11 on Crater Rim Drive, 0.25 mile [0.4 kilometer] from park entrance gate, and the Thomas
A. Jaggar Museum on Crater Rim Drive, 3 miles [4.8 kilometers] from park entrance gate, are both open
all year.
Entrance Fee $10 per car per week.
Pets Not permitted on hiking trails or in backcountry;
elsewhere must be leashed.
Facilities for Disabled Visitor center and museum are accessible
to wheelchairs, with assistance. One trail and many scenic overlooks along Crater
Rim Drive also accessible. Free brochure about visiting the Big Island from: Comm.
on Persons with Disabilities, 919 Alamoana Blvd., Rm. 101, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814.
+1 808 586 8121.
Special Advisories
- Be prepared for intensive sunlight.
Persons with heart or respiratory problems must beware of
noxious sulphur fumes.
Stay on marked trails; vegetation may conceal deep cracks.
Coastline collapse can occur fast; do not go beyond barriers.
Strong winds and unpredictable surf along the coast make swimming dangerous;
it is prohibited in places.
Do not enter any closed areas.
Overnight Backpacking Registration at the visitor center is required.
No fee.
Campgrounds One campground, Kamoamoa,
with a 7-day limit. Open all year first come, first served. No fees. No showers. Tent sites only. Two patrol cabins on Mauna Loa Trail and one
at Kipuka Pepeiao may be used free first come, first served. Must register
at headquarters. Food services in park.
Lodging
Hotels, Motels, & Inns (unless otherwise noted, rates are for 2 persons
in a double room, high season)
INSIDE THE PARK:
Volcano House (Crater Rim Dr.) P.O. Box 53, Hawaii
Volcanoes NP, Hawaii 96718. +1 808 967 7321. 42 rooms. $79-$134. Restaurant. Namakani
Paio Cabins (off Hawaii Hwy. 11) P.O. Box 53, Hawaii Volcanoes NP, Hawaii 96718.
+1 808 967 7321. 10 cabins with central bath. $32.
OUTSIDE THE PARK:
In Hilo, Hawaii
96720:
Country Club Apartment Hotel 121 Banyan Dr.
+1 808 935-7171. 148 units, 24 with kitchenettes. $45-$95. AC, restaurant. Dolphin Bay Hotel 333 Iliahi St. +1 808
935 1466. 18 units with kitchenettes. $59-$89. Hawaii Naniloa Resorts 93 Banyan
Dr. 800 367 5360 or +1 808 969 3333. 325 units. $100-$570. AC, pool, rest.
In Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740:
King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel 75-5660 Palani Rd. 800 367 2111 or +1 808 329 2911. 450 units. $115-$500. AC, pool, restaurant.
In Pahala, Hawaii 96777:
SeaMountain at Punaluu (on Hawaii Hwy. 11) P.O. Box 70. 800 488 8301 or +1 808 928 8301. 28 condominiums. $89-$126. Pool, restaurant.
For additional lodgings contact the Chambers of Commerce of Hilo, 180 Kinoole St., Suite 118, Hilo, Hawaii 96720. +1 808 935 7178; and Kailua-Kona,
75-5737 Kuakini Hwy., Kailua-Kona 96740. +1 808 329 1758.
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