Hawaii Volcanoes

Hawaii National Park, HI

About

Rocky coastline with palm trees and a cliff beyon

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park protects some of the most unique geological, biological, and cherished cultural landscapes in the world. Extending from sea level to 13,680 feet, the park encompasses the summits of two of the world's most active volcanoes - Kīlauea and Mauna Loa - and is a designated International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Read more at nps.gov

Directions

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is located on the island of Hawai‘i. From Hilo: 30 miles southwest on Highway 11 (a 45 minute drive); from Kailua-Kona: 96 miles southeast on Highway 11 (2 to 2 1/2 hour drive), or 125 miles through Waimea and Hilo via highways 19 and 11 (2 1/2 to 3 hours).

Weather Info

The weather at Kīlauea's summit (4000' elevation) varies daily and may be rainy and chilly any time of the year. Temperature varies by elevation. At the summit of the volcano, temperatures may be 12 to 15 degrees cooler than at sea level. The coastal plain at the end of Chain of Craters Road, where lava crossed the road in 2003, is often hot, dry, and windy with the possibility of passing showers.

Photos

A cloud-filled volcanic crater at sunrise with a mountain rising behind

Sunrise at Kīlauea Iki

Lava flows and ferns in front of a cliff at sunset

Lava flows from the Mauna Ulu eruption drape the Hōlei Pali

Trees and tall grass through steam at sunrise

Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff)

Grassy hill dotted with trees underneath a blue sky with white clouds

The Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park once was one of the largest cattle ranches in Hawaiʻi

Green vegetation in tide pools on a rocky ocean coastline

Tide pools along the Puna Coast

A lava tube lit by warm electric light

Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube)

A lava tree in a black lava field with small living trees and a rainbow behind

Lava trees memorialize trees that once stood in the path of encroaching lava

Ferns rising from a lava field

About 200 species of ferns can be found across the Hawaiian Islands. Sixty-five percent of these species are considered endemic, found nowhere else in the world.

Red ʻōhiʻa blossom

The red blossoms of the ʻōhiʻa are a Hawaiian cultural icon

Nēnē spreading winds on edge of a crater

The threatened nēnē is the official state bird of Hawaiʻi

Rays of light shine through a misty rainforest with ferns covering the understory

Lush rainforest surrounds Crater Rim Trail near the Halemaʻumaʻu Trail

A hula dancer in a red dress above a forested area

Kīlauea is home to important and sacred cultural sites stretching back centuries.

A lava cone rising behind a flow of lava with caldera walls beyond

Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on the planet, stands more than 13,000 feet above sea level

Petroglyphs of human figures carved into gray rock

Puʻu Loa features the largest group of petroglyphs in Hawaiʻi.

A tree stands on the edge of a misty caldera

Halemaʻumaʻu from along Crater Rim Trail