What are the lava zones on the Big Island?

There are 9 lava zones for the five volcanoes (Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Hualalai, and Kohala) on the Big Island. Per the US Geological Survey, USGS, “the zones, ranked from 1 through 9, represent a scale of decreasing hazard as the numbers increase, based on the probability of coverage by lava flows.



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The hazard zones are based on the locations of probable eruption sites (based on past eruption sites), the likely paths of lava flows erupted from those sites (based on topography and the paths of previous lava flows), and the frequency of lava flow inundation of an area over the past several thousand years.

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Zone 3 - Areas less hazardous than zone 2 because of greater distance from recently active vents and (or) because of topography. 1-5% of zone 3 has been covered since 1800, and 15-75% has been covered within the past 750 years.

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Lava Zone 4 The zone encompasses the volcano Hualalai and the surrounding areas. The towns of Kailua-Kona, North Kona, and the surrounding subdivisions are all in Zone 4.

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Maui Zone 4 - Functionally has no danger from eruption havening not been inundated with lava for at least 100,000 years. This makes it most similar to a Zone 9 on the island of Hawai?i.

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If the park determines that access to the flow is safe you can go on a hike to see the lava. Because viewing conditions change on a daily basis you should look up the most recent information about the active surface flows shortly before you plan to see the lava yourself.

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Lava is best seen at night along the south rim. There are three main viewing locations: Kupina?i Pali (Waldron Ledge) from Crater Rim Trail, Kilauea Overlook, and Keanakako?i Crater. Keanakako?i Crater is the closest eruption viewpoint - here you'll see a lava lake that emits a reddish-orange glow at night!

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Kailua-Kona is located in Lava Zone 4, which includes all of Hualalai. Although Hualalai is not extinct, the frequency of eruptions is lower, much lower, than that for Kilauea or Mauna Loa.

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On average for a 1,200 sf home you can expect annual premiums to be approximately $6,000.00. For comparison, a homeowners policy for lava zone 3 or higher is about $1,400.00 per year and you will have numerous choices for coverage.

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As for survival, you'll want to bring the usual supply of food, water, and med kits. If you're heading to the lava castle, and you want to make sure you don't need to backtrack, you should bring 2 purple tablets. Those are necessary to progress.

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Taking Lava Rocks Is Illegal! The rocks are an important part of the Hawaiian culture and have spiritual significance to the people who live here. Removing lava rocks from Hawaii without permission is viewed as theft of this natural resource and is punishable by law.

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The Kilauea is a dynamic volcano, and lava viewing conditions change daily. Even if a viewing area is organized by the National Park, this does not guarantee close access of the lava. Often a 1+ hour hike over hazardous terrain is necessary to reach the flow front of the lava.

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The answer… really really close. If the lava is pooling or advancing slowly, you can stand right next to it to get a shot. You can not stand there long…you may have to get your shot and quickly retreat…but you can get very close.

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Locating the Lava Flows 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.

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Most communities that are located near active volcanoes on the Big Island are not in Zones 1 or 2, but rather in the low risk or safe zones. For example, the town of Hilo is in Zone 3, a safe zone despite its proximity to a volcano.

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And this is not anything new either. Except for the occasional vog, the main islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai are unaffected by the volcano. And even on the Big Island, it's business as usual. The only exception is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Puna District and nearby areas.

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