Volcano National Park
Thurston Lava Tube, Crater Rim Drive: Sulphur Banks, Steam Vents, Kilauea Overlook, Halema’u’uma’u Overlook, Keanakako’i Overlook; Kilauea’Iki Trail, Chain of Craters Road
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Duration:
depending on your plans, about 6-12 hours; or even two days, if you include some hikes. Hilo to Volcano, no stops: 1 hr Kona to Volcano: 2.5 hours (not recommended without overnight stay) Crater Rim Drive and Chain of Craters Rd: 4 hrs min. Kilauea Iki Trail: 2-3 hrs Distances: Hilo – Volcano: about 29 miles (~ 47km), 1 hr, no stops Kona - Volcano: about 97 miles (~ 156km), 2.5 hrs, no stops Crater Rim Drive: about 8 miles (~ 13km), partially closed Chain of Craters Rd (roundtrip): 40 miles (~ 64km) What to bring: Sturdy shoes and warm layers, sunscreen, water and food, camera, flashlight for lava tube |
Please note: due to previous lava flows the road around the islands Southern tip is impassible. You have to drive back over Chain of Craters Road and HWY 11 if you have to go back to Hilo or Puna. Furthermore, the Crater Rim Drive might be partially closed in case of a new Kilauea vent or an eruption. Park admission is $10 per car.
Getting here from Hilo: Take HWY 19 South towards the airport and make a right into HWY 11. Behind Volcano follows the National Park entrance at the left. Coming from Puna: Take HWY 130 and make a left onto HWY 11 West towards Volcano. Behind Volcano follows the National Park entrance at the left. From Kona/Waikoloa: This is going to be a full day tour from early morning till late night if you do not stay in Volcano overnight. Take HWY19/11 South towards South Point and continue further towards Volcano. The entrance to the National Park will be on your right. |
A hint upfront: I highly recommend starting the Volcano National Park Tour early to avoid the masses at Thurston Lava Tube. If you start with the tube in the morning around 8-9am the chances are high that you have it for yourself! If you are in a hurry minimize the tour to the lava tube, Kilauea Iki Trail and Chain of Craters Road since these sights are the most impressive in my opinion.
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1st stop: Thurston Lava Tube If you want to know how lava looks from the inside you should visit the lava tube. The trail to the tube entrance goes off from the parking lot and along a tropical rainforest with huge ferns. Be careful since it is very slippery on the trail, stairs and in the tube and don’t forget your flashlight since the second section is not lighted. After you entered the tube (if you are early you have it for yourself) you are framed by lava trails with rainwater dripping from above. Other lava tubes and the second section are full with obstacles but the park management cleaned fallen lava rocks in this part and made it easy to explore the tube. If you are adventurous enough don’t climb the stairs at the end but continue through the small gate, unless you forgot your flashlight. This part is quite untouched and you have to watch your steps. You even have to climb and squeeze yourself around some rocks - this is why a good flashlight is essential. At the end switch off the light to experience real darkness for a moment before you return. |
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2nd stop: Visitor Center
Before you start exploring the National Park definitely stop at the visitor center to inform yourself about the latest happenings. There is also a radio channel (530 AM) frequently playing updates.
3rd stop: Sulphur Banks and Steam Vents
From the visitor center you actually can hike to the Sulphur Banks within 1-mile. However, I recommend taking the car to continue to the other sights immediately.
From the steam vents parking lot goes off a mile long trail (rountrip) to the banks. The trail passes plenty of steam vents and a lookout towards Kilauea vent, down to Kilaua Iki Trail and Kilauea caldera.
The sulphur smells very nasty after rotten eggs and the gas can harm people with heart conditions or breathing problems and children. So if any of these restrictions applies to you refrain from walking to the yellowish banks.
The steaming vents you are passing are caused by rain that entered the ground then was heated by Kilauea and now escapes as steam. The intensity depends on the last days’ rain. The less it rained the less it steams.
4th stop: Kilauea Overlook and Jagger Museum
Next stop is Kilauea Overlook that gives you another perspective over the crater. Further West follows Jagger Museum from where you have another vantage point over the crater. From here you almost can look inside Halema’uma’u Crater.
The museum has an interesting exhibition about Big Island’s volcanoes and their history and shows pictures from recent eruptions. My personal highlight were seismographs that are displayed behind a glass window showing recent records to visitors.
With the Kilauea eruption in spring 2011 and the continous steaming the park closed Crater Rim Drive behind Jagger Museum. Nevertheless, you might be lucky to encounter a re-opening during your stay.
Otherwise turn around and head to Kilauea Iki Trail, one of the best hikes in the park. The hiking trail starts before Thurston Lava Tube coming from the visitor center and I encourage you to do the hike before the drive along Chain of Crater Road. The drive takes longer than you expect not only because of the many lookouts you will stop at.
Next stop is Kilauea Overlook that gives you another perspective over the crater. Further West follows Jagger Museum from where you have another vantage point over the crater. From here you almost can look inside Halema’uma’u Crater.
The museum has an interesting exhibition about Big Island’s volcanoes and their history and shows pictures from recent eruptions. My personal highlight were seismographs that are displayed behind a glass window showing recent records to visitors.
With the Kilauea eruption in spring 2011 and the continous steaming the park closed Crater Rim Drive behind Jagger Museum. Nevertheless, you might be lucky to encounter a re-opening during your stay.
Otherwise turn around and head to Kilauea Iki Trail, one of the best hikes in the park. The hiking trail starts before Thurston Lava Tube coming from the visitor center and I encourage you to do the hike before the drive along Chain of Crater Road. The drive takes longer than you expect not only because of the many lookouts you will stop at.
5th stop: Kilauea Iki Trail
The 4-miles (~ 6.4km) roundtrail first goes along the rim of Kilauea Iki (Hawaiian for little Kilauea) before it descends to the crater floor.
The trail is moderate and leads you along the warm and steaming floor that was the surface of a lava lake during the eruption in 1959. Bring a lot of water since the dust at the bottom makes you thirsty.
I recommend starting counter-clockwise and purchase a trail map for $1 that explains the happenings in 1959 from different lookouts. Along the rim you are looking towards Pu’u Pua’I, the vent causing the recent eruption and the adjacent area with Haleama’uma’u Crater and Mauna Loa. After a rocky descend to the bottom you start walking over the former lava lake. From time to time you hear the floor cracking under your weight, don’t worry, the cold lava is thick enough to carry you but crumbles on top. Lift one of the bigger lava stones and experience how light, crumbly and holey the top layer is. This helps you understand the crackling sound.
At the end of the lava bottom the trail ascends into the forest again.
If you haven’t had the time to visit Thurston Lava Tube - this is your chance. On your way back you pass the parking lot. The trail to the tube starts on the opposite. You will recognize it as soon as you reach the packed parking lot.
Chains of Craters Road
In my opinion the Chains of Craters Road is the most impressive sight (if you can call it a sight) in the park. It is winding down to the ocean passing several craters and from several vantage points you can oversee the different lava flows. Along the road, that had to be rerouted in the 1970s after a lava flow, you find small trails that guide you over cold lava fields to deep inactive craters and towards old petroglyphs.
The end of the road was marked by another lava flow that covered another visitor center and cut off the road going around the island’s southern tip. Today you can hike over the hardened flow to look for old street signs and rooftops that are sticking outside the lava.
In the following I list the most impressing stops along the road. There are more like Hilina Pali Lookout, but I think the long drive to the lookout and the vantage point isn’t as spectacular as the other stops.
6th stop: Devil’s Throat, behind Hilina Pali Road on the left
Hidden by vegetation you might miss Devil’s Throat along the road. Park the car on the street immediately behind the intersection to Hilina Pali Road. The small trail to the crater goes off to the left. Most people pass this stop because it is not listed in the visitor brochure. So keep looking.
As you walk about 150ft down the trail a huge hole appears and you shouldn’t come to close to the rim’s edge since it is crumbly and can easily collapse. Watch down to the crater’s bottom and feel how your pulse increases before you return to your car.
In the following there are many pullouts from where you have great views over the lava and some steam vents. At Alanui Kahakai you can see parts of the old Chain of Craters road within the lava flow.
Hidden by vegetation you might miss Devil’s Throat along the road. Park the car on the street immediately behind the intersection to Hilina Pali Road. The small trail to the crater goes off to the left. Most people pass this stop because it is not listed in the visitor brochure. So keep looking.
As you walk about 150ft down the trail a huge hole appears and you shouldn’t come to close to the rim’s edge since it is crumbly and can easily collapse. Watch down to the crater’s bottom and feel how your pulse increases before you return to your car.
In the following there are many pullouts from where you have great views over the lava and some steam vents. At Alanui Kahakai you can see parts of the old Chain of Craters road within the lava flow.
7th stop: Holei Pali Lookout
Before you start descending to the ocean make a stop at Holei Pali Lookout, a wooden deck construction. From the deck you have beautiful views over different lava flows from 1969-1974, the cutting through road and the ocean.
As soon as you reached the road below that is cutting the flow make another stop to take some nice pictures of the cold shifted lava.
Before you start descending to the ocean make a stop at Holei Pali Lookout, a wooden deck construction. From the deck you have beautiful views over different lava flows from 1969-1974, the cutting through road and the ocean.
As soon as you reached the road below that is cutting the flow make another stop to take some nice pictures of the cold shifted lava.
8th stop: Pu’u Loa Petroglyph Trail
If you haven’t seen petroglyphs before and haven’t been to Waikoloa Resort yet, where you can walk along the historic drawings, make a stop. Another hike after the Kilauea Iki Trail might be a pain but Pu’u Loa is the largest petroglyph field on the archipelago and has over 1000 drawings. The hike is easy and only takes 45min -1 hr back and forth (1.5 miles/ ~2,4km).
If you haven’t seen petroglyphs before and haven’t been to Waikoloa Resort yet, where you can walk along the historic drawings, make a stop. Another hike after the Kilauea Iki Trail might be a pain but Pu’u Loa is the largest petroglyph field on the archipelago and has over 1000 drawings. The hike is easy and only takes 45min -1 hr back and forth (1.5 miles/ ~2,4km).
9th stop: Holei Sea Arch, at milemarker 19.
Before the dead end of Chain of Craters Road park your car at the curb and walk to the shore. At its end lies a huge sea arch that was carved when the ocean undercut the rock.
From here you have a great view over the southern shore of Big Island and the rough ocean. At the far left you can see the road cut off. Follow the other hikers to enter the lava field.
Before the dead end of Chain of Craters Road park your car at the curb and walk to the shore. At its end lies a huge sea arch that was carved when the ocean undercut the rock.
From here you have a great view over the southern shore of Big Island and the rough ocean. At the far left you can see the road cut off. Follow the other hikers to enter the lava field.
10th stop: End of Chain of Craters Road
Before the recent eruption in the 2000s there was another visitor center located right in front of you. The old shacks are reminding of it unless a more recent lava flow covered them as well while I was writing.
If you continue to the flow edge and start climbing the lava field you will come to street signs that are sticking out of the cold lava. If you continue further you even can see some rooftops from campgrounds, and small villages.
Just make sure you are not hiking here during an eruption trespassing the closed gates.
Before the recent eruption in the 2000s there was another visitor center located right in front of you. The old shacks are reminding of it unless a more recent lava flow covered them as well while I was writing.
If you continue to the flow edge and start climbing the lava field you will come to street signs that are sticking out of the cold lava. If you continue further you even can see some rooftops from campgrounds, and small villages.
Just make sure you are not hiking here during an eruption trespassing the closed gates.
