See Hawaii's active volcanoes at Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park finally partially reopened on September 22, 2018 after several months of closure following the eruption of the Kilauea in the Leilani Estates district. Before starting our article, here is first a statement from the authorities recalling the situation with some essential safety rules to follow, as well as the list of open sites. It should also be noted that there is no liquid lava visible in the park for several months.
1Announcement of the Volcanoes NP
Most of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park closed on May 11, 2018 due to increased volcanic and seismic activity at Kīlauea Over the next twelve weeks, large lava flows covered areas southeast of the park (outside the park), destroying more than 700 houses and devastating thousands more in residential areas of the Puna district. At the same time, the area at the top of the park was shaken by tens of thousands of earthquakes, huge ash plumes and 62 massive collapse explosions.
These events caused unprecedented damage to infrastructure, the first in the park's 102-year history, including building damage, landslides, rock falls, deep cracks in roads and trails, and numerous breaks in water and sewer pipes. Now, since the eruption is considered "paused", there is no liquid lava to observe in the park.
As the park reopens, visitors must take extra precautions to stay safe during their visit. Visitors should expect difficult access to services and parking, long queues and a lack of clean drinking water in the park.
CAUTION: Some areas of the park remain unstable and unsecured due to hundreds of earthquakes:
- STAY ON THE PATHS AND OPEN ROADS! Trails and closed roads are considered dangerous, respect the restrictions.
- TAY AWAY FROM CRACKS AND COLLAPSES. In the past, reckless people have killed themselves by falling through cracks. They have unstable edges, so don't go near them.
- ROCK FALLS ARE UNPREDICTABLE. Be careful not to approach steep areas.
- WARNING SOLID FOOTWEAR AND LONG PANTS, falling on lava rocks is like falling on pieces of glass.
- DO NOT HIKE AT NIGHT. Even if you are familiar with some areas of the park, you may be surprised by the evolution of the underground.
2Opened areas of the Volcanoes NP
Despite the park being reopened, there are still some closed areas that have either suffered very significant damage or have not yet been secured. Here is the list of infrastructures, roads and hiking trails that are currently still closed.
- Jaggar Museum (indefinitely)
- Crater Rim Drive between Kilauea Military Camp and Jaggar Museum is closed
- Hilina Pali Road past Kulanaokuaiki Is closed to vehicles (it is open to pedestrians and non-motorized bicycles)
- Crater Rim Trail beyond Kilauea Military Camp
- ʻIliahi Trail
- Crater Rim Trail from Volcano House to Kīlauea Iki
- Nāhuku - Thurston Lava Tube
All other infrastructure, roads and trails are now open.
3A bit of goelogy...
If you are a regular visitor to the site, you may have noticed that we tend to be slightly attracted to "volcanic" countries. Certainly because what animates the soils of the places we visit also animates us. After Japan and Iceland, Hawaii is something that trotted through our heads for its geological richness. Far be it from me to give you a lecture on volcanoes in the Pacific zone, but let's focus for a few seconds on the mid-Pacific archipelago.
The Hawaiian islands were born from a single hot spot, the Hawaiian hot spot. As a result of the movement of the Pacific plate, the islands of the archipelago have exited one after the other from the ocean in a southeast/northwest direction. A little google map tour in satellite view, and the effect of the hot point on the ocean floor is immediately obvious. We immediately notice the alignment of small islands from Big Island (the most southeast island of Hawaii) to the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia (small, wild spot that also thrills us ^^).
This hot point is still active and at work. It continues to extend southeast of Big Island from Kilauea, evacuating through various craters such as Pu'u'O'o active until 2017 or fissure 8, a new mouth created following the events of 2018, which produced the lava that buried a part of the Puna Peninsula between May and July.
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was created around the Kilauea caldera, and allows to get as close as possible to recent lava flows. It is also possible to approach flows that are located outside the park.
It is important to understand that volcanic activity varies greatly and will not be the same over days, months and years. Lava does not flow every day in the park and its activity is monitored at the Visitor Center. Until May 2018 it was possible to admire the bubbling lava lake of the Halema'uma'u crater from the Jaggar Museum. Since then, the crater has collapsed and the lake has completely drained. Lava is no longer flowing at Volcanoes National Park but could return... without us knowing when.
An area of all records!
Did you know that Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in our good old world? Its eruptions are known to be spectacular! But rather than a long speech, I invite you to take a look at the Kilauea Wikipedia,"eruptive history" section, to see the forces present in the region, such as the phenomena observed during the eruption of Kilauea Iki in 1959, which will generate a lava fountain 580m high!
So you will understand that we are dealing with a seriously unstable area under constant surveillance. So don't be frustrated when you visit the park to see that some areas are closed to the public because of soil instability or other toxic vapours.
4Prepare your visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The 3 zones of the Volcanoes National Park
The park is quite large and extends to the sea. It is divided into three parts:
- The main area is located around the Kilauea crater. The main points of interest are served by Crater Rim Drive, a 17-km road that once circled the caldera before it was partially closed due to excessive danger. Today, part of this road has collapsed in the caldera following the 2018 earthquakes, which greatly increased the size of the crater.
- The second area descends from Kilauea to the sea via the Chain of Craters Road, a 30-km road that crosses many lava flows and ancient craters.
- Finally, the last part is located in the far north. It is accessible from Mauna Loa road. We will not talk about this part because we did not have time to explore it.
In view of the size of the park and the difference in altitude (more than 1000 meters between sea level and the entrance to the park), we recommend that you come by car/motorcycle, or by bike if you are sporty. Please note that there is no shuttle bus in the park, so a walking tour will limit you to the few points of interest located near the caldera.
During your first visit to Volcanoes NP, we recommend that you stop at the Visitor Center, which is located very close to the entrance. You will discover interesting information about the geology of the park, some short films to better understand the forces, and gather information of the day such as weather, volcanic activity and accessible areas of the park.
How much time should I spend at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?
The park is quite large and has several points of interest which are to be done during the day but also at night when the liquid lava is visible in the park (but this is not always the case).
In order to fully enjoy the area we recommend that you spend at least 2 days on site, and more if you wish to hike longer.
Due to lack of time, we only did the trails that seemed interesting, accessible and short enough. I will nevertheless detail below the hikes that seem worth the detour and there is enough to do with the ten Day Hikes in the park! See the hikes at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park .
How much does it cost to access the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?
The entrance fee for a car will cost you $25 and will allow you to visit the park for 1 week, and $20 for the bikes.
If you are planning to discover Maui Island during your trip, it will be more interesting to buy the Hawaii Tri-Park Annual Pass at $50. It is valid for 12 months and allows a car to enter the Volcanoes National Park as well as the Pu'uhonua O' Hōnaunau National Historical Park (near Kona on Big Island) as well as at Haleakalā National Park located in Maui. This pass allows you to save $15 if you want to discover the 3 parks. Remember to ask for it when you first go through the counters at the park entrance.
If you already own the America the beautiful, know that it also works in at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, but it is very difficult to find this pass for sale in the Hawaiian islands.
Temporary closures
As the park is located in a very active area, it is highly likely that some areas will be closed due to the risk of toxic fumes or collapse. In this case you will be stopped by yellow police ribbons (do not cross). For more information, we recommend that you visit the Visitor Center.
Following the events of 2018, the park is healing its wounds and gradually reopening. However, many areas and trails remain closed until the rangers carry out security operations on the premises and trails. We have indicated them at the beginning of this article.
Where to sleep near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?
You will find some accommodation near the park at Volcano Village. The advantage is that you will be very close to the park, which is very convenient if you have to go there at nightfall to see the glowing lava. However, there are not really any supermarkets in the area, so remember to stock up before you arrive.
It is also convenient to stay in Hilo, which is 45 minutes from the park by car. The road is easy and is good even at night. Hilo is a good base from which to reach the entire southern and eastern sector of the island, including climbing to the top of Mauna Kea.
5Points of interest and hikes to do at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
In this section we will detail all the points of interest and hikes to be done at Volcanoes National Park in the first two areas of the park, from the crater to the sea (not having had the opportunity to go to the northern area). So let's start with the area around Crater Rim Drive, near Kilauea.
Steam Vents
Here vapour fumes come out of the bowels of the earth. They are located in the immediate vicinity of the road. A path will take you to the edge of the caldera of Kilauea from where you can have a wide panorama (but you will not see the lava lake of the Halemaumau Crater) and discover other emanations.
Kilauea Overlook (closed)
Just before arriving at the Jaggar Museum, the Kilauea Overlook gives you another panoramic view of the caldera of the Kilauea and the Halemaumau Crater.
Crater Rim Trail (open to the Military camp)
The Crater Rim Trail allows you to walk along the edges of the caldera of the Kilauea. We didn't find it interesting to use it because the road leads directly to the main viewpoints on the crater. However, if you have time in front of you, this can be an interesting alternative to find yourself "alone" in front of the beauty offered by nature around the Halema' uma' uma' u Crater to reach the Jaggar Museum through the Steam Vents.
Kilauea Iki Trail
This is a 6.4km loop that takes you to the heart of this volcano which was in the spotlight in 1959, when it erupted after 3 months of seismic tremors that went crescendo. This volcano holds a record high eruption height of lava, or lava fountain, with 580 meters (!) of height reached on December 16 of the same year. Some fumaroles were still active at the bottom of the crater.
The trail descends into the crater from the car park and crosses it from one end to the other, going up into the forest to the north. There's nothing to stop you from starting with the forest and ending with the crater.
Our opinion: we just took pictures from the belvedere next to the car park, and only took the time to read the information panels because the day was already well advanced. We think that taking an hour and a half to 2 hours to cover the volcano is clearly worth it. It's not every day you walk around in a crater... active!
Thurston Lava Tube (temporary closed)
This small loop of 500m will take you to a place that you will rarely have the chance to visit. An ancient lava tunnel of the Kilauea 150m long, lit day and night, one more facet of Hawaii's volcanic activity open to visitors.
In the tunnel formed 350 to 500 years ago, the level of lava that once flowed through it is noticeable. Incidentally, its slope was only 2%. Also look at the ceiling and you will see roots! But before you reach the tunnel, you'll have to cross a rainforest. The trail is paved.
As the area is very busy, we recommend that you discover the tunnel at the beginning or end of the day. If, like us, you decide to venture there at night, don't forget your headlamp (or smartphone lamp) to light up the path to the tunnel entrance.
For the more adventurous, it is possible to ask exceptionally to open the other part of the cave, which is not open to the public, to explore in a more intimate way this mysterious place where the traces of the last flows that took place here are still visible.
Devastation Trail
This short 1.6km round trip takes us to see the ash cones that were formed following the eruption of Kilauea Iki in 1959.
The trail is very simple and can be walked quickly. Finally, the little cone of ashes is not that incredible and we could even pass stupidly by without having been warned of its existence.
It should be noted that the Devastation Trail also makes it possible to reach the Pu'u Pua'i Overlook, a point of view that is also accessible by car.
The road then goes down to the sea via the Chain of Craters road. Here are the points of interest and hikes you will find along this route.
Along Chain of Craters Road, you will discover a myriad of old craters and more or less recent lava fields. Signs indicate the places, do not hesitate to stop there. As you descend, you will see the smoke plume marking the entrance of the Kilauea lava in the ocean (if it flows when you come).
Pu’u Huluhulu - Nāpau Trail
Here is actually the departure point of several trails, or at least a long trail, the N?pau trail which serves several points of interest: Pu'u Huluhulu, Mauna Ulu and Nāpau, which follow the same path in their first part, up to Pu'u Huluhulu.
The Pu' u Huluhulu is actually an old crater covered with vegetation from where you can observe the area that extends to the Puuu `Ō`ō, the currently active volcano of Hawaii, when weather permits. Don't expect a grandiose view, it is a promontory at the top of which you can see the smoke from the crater in the distance.
We then joined the Mauna Ulu, the highest volcano in the area, which is an unofficial trail even though the cairns indicate that a path seems to pass through it. The crater's bowels are still released from toxic fumes. Also watch out for the crater's surroundings, which are very unstable.
The access is from the Napau Trail by making your way through the lava field. From here you will have a 360° unobstructed view of Puuu `Ō`ō, the smoke plume of the lava entrance into the ocean, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea in very clear weather, and the more difficult it is to guess the caldera of Kilauea.
And to finish the Nāpau Trail will take you on or near a succession of volcanoes: Pu' u Huluhulu, Mauna Ulu, Makaopuhi and to finish the Nāpau. You will be here almost alone in the world and as close as possible to Pu`u `Ō`ō`, the area that surrounds it being closed. You are almost in communion (4.5 km away) with the most active volcano on the planet. Unique.
The whole trail will take 19 km to go back and forth, 6 hours of walking, but you can stop at Mauna Ulu which is only 2 km away.
The path is easy to reach Pu'u Huluhulu where numbered terminals will give you information about the consequences of the eruption of Mauna Ulu between 1969 and 1974 (small paid paper guide).
Our opinion: once again pressed by the sunset, we almost accidentally went to the top of Mauna Ulu and enjoyed the view, despite the slight fog, and admired Pu`u `Ō`ō We were alone, amazed by the show in front of our eyes and also a little bit cold, the night arrived quickly on us (we finished the walk with the lamp of the smartphone...). But what a pleasure to be up there far from the crowds, with the scenery of this landscape tormented by the forces of nature. A real crush. We regret that we did not have an extra day to cover the whole hike.
Pu`u Loa Petroglyphs
Just before arriving at the seaside, you can stop to observe ancient petroglyphs engraved by the first civilizations. This is the largest concentration of petroglyphs in Hawaii. To discover them, a small loop of 1.5 km allows you to reach the area.
End of Chain Crater Road
See the 2003 lava flow
It is possible to observe the flow that cut the road here in 2003 from the small car park at the end of the Chain of Crater Road where a "mini" Visitor Center awaits you and amenities. You will also find all the information you need to get to the lava flows from the rangers, but don't come too early because before 9am-10am there is no one on site.
Access to active lava flows
If the lava is present in the park, there is a good chance that a lava flow will flow into the sea. From the end of Chain of Crater Road, it was possible to approach the area where lava was spilling into the ocean between 2013 and 2018. In April 2017, this point was 8 km from the car park, or 16 km round trip. From now on, there is no lava flowing into the ocean (but the lava could come back one day).
It should be noted that the area has no shade and the ground being black, the heat is all the more intense.
Hōlei Sea Arch
Just after the parking lot at the end of Chain of Craters Road, take a look at Hōlei Sea Arch, a volcanic arch formed by ocean erosion.
