How long does it take to drive through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?
This 38-mile (61 km) round-trip drive descends 3,700 feet (1,128 m) to the coast and ends where lava has covered 10 miles of road since 1986. Allow 90 minutes to two hours round-trip, depending on how often you stop and how far you hike.
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Finding Hawai'i Volcanoes National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park is located on the island of Hawai'i. From Kailua-Kona: 95 miles southeast on Highway 11 (2 to 2.5 hour drive), or 125 miles through Waimea and Hilo via highways 19 and 11 (2.5 to 3 hours).
Visiting the park by car is easy to do. The two main roads visitors will travel are Crater Rim Drive and Chain of Craters Road. All roads in the park are two-wheel drive roadways and do not require four-wheel drive vehicles.
You can pack a lot of the Big Island in a short time, and don't need to spend an entire day in the park to enjoy the main sights. If you're trying to decide the when to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park instead of spending a full day, the best time of day to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is in the morning.
This 38-mile (61 km) round-trip drive descends 3,700 feet (1,128 m) to the coast and ends where lava has covered 10 miles of road since 1986. Allow 90 minutes to two hours round-trip, depending on how often you stop and how far you hike. Note: There are no services (water, gasoline, or food) on Chain of Craters road.
Crater Rim Drive is an 11-mile road that skirts the edge of the Kilauea Caldera in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and contains several scenic views and hiking opportunities. If you had to choose only one thing to do in HVNP (may that never occur!), this drive would be it.
Absolutely, visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is worth it, especially if you're interested in geology, natural landscapes, and the unique opportunity to witness volcanic activity.
Self tour it is! Just allow plenty of time - there is so much to see there! Our first visit to the Big island we spent part of 2 days, and it really wasn't enough, so our next visit, we stayed in Volcano for 2 nights, so had almost 3 days to explore - was great! :) Good decision !
The 600-foot-long cave is a great introduction to lava tube geology. The solidified drips and waves of once-liquid lava rock clearly show the molten forces that created this cave. Your flashlight reveals beautiful shapes and colors of minerals leeching from the rock.
The Kazumura lava tube system, within the 500 year-old 'Aila'au lava flow of Kilauea, is more than 40 miles (65 km) long and is thought to be the longest lava tube cave in the world. Tubes may be up to several dozen feet wide.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is open 24 hours a day, so your chance to see glowing lava (from near or far) is pretty good when the volcano is actively erupting (it's periodically erupting only at the summit in Halemaumau currently), especially when it's dark. Just look for the red glow.
There are two entrances to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. To get to the park from Hilo, follow Highway 11 all the way through the town of Volcano. You can also enter the park from the west by traveling southwest on Highway 11. The visitor center is located at 1 Crater Rim Drive, Volcano, HI 96785.
In 2023 there are no active surface flows outside of the crater to be seen. However, there have been eruptions that have stayed entirely contained within Halema'uma'u crater, that allow you to see an evening glow and molten lava within the crater.
It is illegal to take lava rocks from Volcano National Park. Not only that it can bring very bad luck as its an insult to Pele. Hundreds of lava rocks get sent back to Hawaii because of this well known kapu(taboo) on snatching parts of Pele the Goddess of the Volcanos!
The temperatures in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park only range about 10 degrees from summer to winter, but the winters are cooler and rainier than the summers at the park. On average, the warmest month of the year is August, and the coolest is February.
A very worthwhile experience. The trolly tour was the best part of the trip wish they were at more of the parks! Filled with great information and a wonderful way to see/learn about the park. A Must if you visit the park sit back relax and enjoy the views.
Check out this 2.1-mile out-and-back trail near Volcano, Hawaii. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 50 min to complete. This is a very popular area for walking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring.
Lava cools very quickly at first and forms a thin crust that insulates the interior of the lava flow. As a result, basaltic lava flows can form crusts that are thick enough to walk on in 10-15 minutes but the flow itself can take several months to cool!
The tube is open 24 hours a day, and it's recommended visitors go before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m. to avoid crowds. The tube is lit starting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. After that, you will need a flashlight or headlight. Molten lava flow carved the tube into the mountain nearly five centuries ago, and was discovered in 1913.