Which Hawaiian Islands have lava zones?

Nine lava-flow hazard zones for the volcanoes on Hawai'i Island (Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Hualalai, and Kohala) are shown on the map. 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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No matter how long you plan to stay on the Big Island, you owe it to yourself and your group to make a journey to the southeast section of the island to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, view the lava (when it is flowing) and see one of the most volcanically active areas in the world.

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Lava zone 2: Black Sand Beach, Nanawale Estates, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Shores, Hawaiian Parks, Kehena, Puna Beach Palisades, Kalapana Seaview Estates, Kaimu-Makena Houselots. Pahoa is of course also in this lava zone.

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Zone 9, considered the least hazardous region, consists of Kohala, a volcano that has not erupted for 60,000 years. Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Lava-flow hazard zones map, Island of Hawai'i.

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Zone 1 - Includes summits and rift zones of Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, where vents have been repeatedly active in historical time. Zone 2 - Areas adjacent to and downslope of zone 1. 15-25% of zone 2 has been covered by lava since 1800, and 25-75% has been covered within the past 750 years.

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The eroded West Maui volcano, known as Mauna Kahawai or West Maui Mountains, last erupted 320,000 years ago. Haleakala is in a non-eruptive stage. You won't find lava erupting out of Maui's volcanos on your visit to the Valley Isle. You won't be able to miss seeing them though.

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There are currently no lava flows outside the crater or ocean entry of lava, therefore Lava boat tours and many lava related tours are not currently running due to the lack of molten lava flowing outside of the crater. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is open and has plenty of volcano related things to do and see.

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While all Hawaiian Islands have a volcanic history, the Big Island is known for its extremely active volcano - Kilauea, which is located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

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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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View from the ground of one of the vents erupting in Kilauea caldera on September 14, 2023. The lava fountain heights at the vents reached up to about 10-15 meters (32-50 feet) and the horseshoe-shaped spatter ramparts that have accumulated on the south/downwind side of the vents are 20 meters (66 feet) high.

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Diamond Head Crater Situated just minutes from Waikiki, this impressive 300,000-year-old volcanic crater invites visitors to go hiking and take in the natural beauty and untold mysteries of Hawaii.

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You can see [the Mauna Loa lava flow] from Hilo. You can see it from Kona. You can see it from Kau. In order to see both the Kilauea and Mauna Loa eruptions at the same time, you'll have to go to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HVNP), atop Kilauea.

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Larger swaths of land on the slopes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa are at risk for lava inundation, designated as Lava Zone 3. The zones are determined based on multiple factors such as topography, frequency of eruptions at a given location, and the percentage of land area covered in lava over time.

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Most would consider Lava Zone 3 land relatively safe from volcanic incidents. But Hawaiian Beaches lies between two areas classified as Lava Zone 2.

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The park is open 24 hours a day. Hiking to the lava from the park is allowed, but it's not for everyone.

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For example, the town of Hilo is in Zone 3, a safe zone despite its proximity to a volcano.

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