Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, protects two of the most active volcanoes on Earth — Kīlauea and the massive Mauna Loa — and is one of the few places in the world where visitors can witness the raw, ongoing creation of new land. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a landscape of steaming craters, vast lava fields, lava tubes, rainforest and the elemental power of volcanism.

Kīlauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has erupted frequently in recent years, drawing visitors to glimpse its glowing lava and its great summit caldera, Halema‘uma‘u, home in Hawaiian tradition to the volcano goddess Pele. Visitors drive Crater Rim Drive and the Chain of Craters Road, hike across craters and through a lava tube, and witness steaming vents and (when erupting) lava glow. Sacred and elemental, Hawai‘i Volcanoes is a treasured natural icon of Hawai‘i.

The park offers driving Crater Rim Drive around Kīlauea’s summit caldera and the Chain of Craters Road down to where lava has crossed the road and met the sea, hiking trails across the Kīlauea Iki crater floor and through the Thurston Lava Tube, viewing steaming vents and (when active) the lava glow at Halema‘uma‘u, exploring rainforest and lava fields, and ranger programs. Witnessing the active volcano, driving the crater roads and hiking the lava landscapes are the signature draws. The combination of living volcanoes, lava fields and the creation of new land makes the park extraordinary.

The park is open year-round, and volcanic activity (the great draw) is unpredictable — check current eruption status before visiting, as eruptions can light the night sky spectacularly. The summit area is cool and often rainy at about 4,000 feet (bring layers and rain gear), while the coastal end is hot and dry. Eruption glow is best seen after dark. Year-round, timed to current volcanic activity, is the way to plan — check the eruption status, come for the night glow if it’s erupting, and dress for the cool, wet summit.

The volcanoes are sacred in Hawaiian tradition, the home of Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes, and central to Native Hawaiian culture and creation stories. The area was protected as a national park in 1916 (one of the first in the territory) and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding volcanism. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, founded here in 1912, pioneered the study of active volcanoes. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park preserves these living volcanoes, their lava landscapes and their sacred significance, a treasured icon of Hawai‘i.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park sits atop a volcanic ‘hot spot’ in the Earth’s mantle that has built the Hawaiian Islands as the Pacific plate drifts over it. Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are shield volcanoes — broad, gently sloping mountains built by fluid basaltic lava — among the most active on Earth, constantly reshaping the land with new lava flows, summit collapses, lava tubes and the eventual extension of the island into the sea. The hot spot, the fluid basaltic lava and the constant eruptions create and continually remake this living volcanic landscape.

The park’s range from coast to high volcano supports native Hawaiian wildlife — the endangered nene (Hawaiian goose, the state bird), native honeycreepers and other forest birds, the Hawaiian hawk (‘io), the rare Hawaiian hoary bat, and sea turtles on the coast — amid rainforest, lava fields and dry shrubland. Native species, isolated on the islands, are precious and threatened by introduced species. The park is a refuge for native Hawaiian wildlife. It offers wildlife watching, with the nene, native forest birds and the ‘io among the highlights, amid the dramatic volcanic scenery.

The park protects a remarkable range of ecosystems shaped by volcanism and isolation — from lush native rainforest of ‘ohi‘a and hapu‘u tree ferns, through dry shrubland, to barren new lava fields where life slowly returns, up the slopes of Mauna Loa — home to rare native plants and animals found nowhere else, and constantly renewed and destroyed by lava. Introduced species and a changing climate threaten the native life. Protecting the native rainforest, the rare species and the dynamic volcanic landscape sustains both the ecology and the wonder of the park.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park holds a sacred and treasured place among the icons of Hawai‘i — home to two of the world’s most active volcanoes and to Pele, the goddess of fire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where visitors witness the elemental creation of new land. Deeply significant in Native Hawaiian culture and a global center of volcano science, the park embodies the living power of the islands. Hawai‘i Volcanoes is a cherished natural and cultural icon of Hawai‘i.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, about 45 minutes southwest of Hilo (the nearest airport) on Highway 11, and a few hours from Kona. An entrance fee applies, and the park is open 24 hours (best for night eruption glow). It has the Kīlauea Visitor Center, Crater Rim Drive, the Chain of Craters Road, trails and the lava tube. Eruptions and volcanic hazards can close areas — check current conditions and air quality (volcanic smog, ‘vog’). Check the National Park Service for the eruption status, closures, fees and conditions before visiting.

The National Park Service protects the park’s volcanoes, native species and cultural sites. Visitors help by staying on trails and out of closed and hazardous volcanic areas, not taking lava rocks or disturbing cultural sites (respecting Pele and Hawaiian tradition), protecting native plants and animals (not spreading invasive species — clean gear), keeping a distance from the nene and wildlife, packing out everything, and following all rules and closures. The native species and the sacred, hazardous volcanic landscape are sensitive. Protecting them sustains both the ecology and the wonder of the park.

Active volcanism is dangerous — obey all closures and warnings, stay on marked trails and overlooks, never approach active lava or unstable cliffs and crater edges (ground can collapse), and beware volcanic gases and ‘vog’ (hazardous especially to those with respiratory or heart conditions). The summit is cool and rainy; the coast hot. Lava fields are sharp and uneven (wear sturdy shoes). Earthquakes can accompany activity. Respect the volcanic hazards and closures, the toxic gases, the unstable ground, the sharp lava and the weather extremes.

An entrance fee applies; the park is open 24 hours but areas close for volcanic hazards — obey all closures. Stay on trails and overlooks; do not enter closed areas or approach active lava. Do not remove lava rock or disturb cultural/sacred sites. Keep a distance from the nene and wildlife; do not feed them. Clean gear to prevent invasive species. Drones are prohibited. Pets are restricted. Pack out all trash. Heed air-quality (vog) warnings. Check the National Park Service for eruption status, closures and rules before visiting.

The city of Hilo (with waterfalls and gardens) to the northeast, the Kona coast to the west, the Big Island’s beaches, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, and the volcanic landscapes of the island lie near the park. The Big Island of Hawai‘i defines the region. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park anchors the volcanic heart of the Big Island, a centerpiece of a Hawai‘i adventure, easily combined with Hilo, the Kona coast, Mauna Kea and the island’s beaches.

Check the current eruption status before you go — if Kīlauea is active, come after dark to see the lava glow at Halema‘uma‘u (the park is open 24 hours). Drive Crater Rim Drive and the Chain of Craters Road to the coast, hike across the Kīlauea Iki crater floor and through the Thurston Lava Tube, and bring layers and rain gear (the summit is cool and wet). Obey all closures and stay on trails (volcanic hazards are real), respect Pele and the sacred sites (don’t take lava rocks), heed vog warnings, and combine with Hilo and Mauna Kea.