What kind of car do you need in Volcano National Park?

A 4WD vehicle is a must for this Big Island adventure! 4WD is the only way you'll be able to access all the best “off the grid” spots. Besides taking a day for Hawaii Volcanoes National park or a few in Kona/Kohala, here are some of our other favorite places to go, with Volcano Village as your home base…



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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. Start your visit at the Kilauea Visitor Center located just beyond the park's entrance station on the right.

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Hele-On provides bus service to Hawai?i Volcanoes National Park and Mauna Kea State Recreation Area, seven days a week. Additional details for traveling to or from the Hawai?i Volcanoes National Park is available by riding the following: Route 10: Hilo to Ocean View. Route 11: Red Line (Hilo to Volcano)

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Yes! I spent 1 day in Crater Lake and I feel like it was a good amount of time to spend in the park. The park isn't too large like other national parks so it is very doable to drive around and do a few activities and enjoy your time at the lake.

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But even without an active volcanic eruption, this is still a great park to visit. If you are planning to visit Hawaii, it's still worth visiting Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, even without an active lava flow.

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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.

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If you want to visit lava up close and personal, then you should allow at least TWO full days for visiting Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. If you don't plan to view lava up close, you can fit in the highlights of the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in one day, but you could also easily spend 3+ days in the park.

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At 1,219 meters, (4,000 feet), the summit of Kilauea can be chilly at any time. Bring a rain jacket, wear long pants and closed-toe shoes.

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Traffic goes both directions on Rim Drive.

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Sunset and the evening hours between 6 pm and 9 pm are the most crowded, creating lines of traffic waiting for parking spots, lines at facilities, and packed overlooks. The best time to visit is after 9 pm to sunrise. Your park is open 24 hours a day.

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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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The best time to observe the glow from Halema'uma'u is before sunrise, or after 9 p.m., when most visitors have left. The park is open 24 hours a day.

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Most of the hike is on a steep incline which becomes tougher the higher you hike. Total elevation gain is 5150 ft./ 1500 m. The final hour of the hike is the toughest because by that point, you are so high up that you're climbing through volcanic sand instead of solid ground. Combined with the altitude, it's strenuous.

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The Rim Drive is one of the great things at Crater Lake as it allows you see the lake from so many angles without your needing to walk very much. There are overlooks all around the lake with plenty of parking and only short walks to the edge.

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