4 Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

By Jacob

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located in...Hawaii. The park spans a large proportion of the southern end of the big island. In recent years this park has become well known because of the eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano. This park is an incredible place that if given the chance, you should definitely visit. This article will help you find some of the best things to see in the park. Check the park website for closings due to volcano activity or COVID-19.

1. Park Visitor Center

No trip to any park is complete without a visit to the park visitor center. The Kilauea Visitor Center is located on Highway 11 near Volcano Village and the Kilauea Crater. This is a great place to get all the information you need about closures and other park information. Rangers are on duty to answer questions about anything in the park. The visitor center also has several exhibits that give interesting information about the volcanoes of the park.

2. Kilauea Volcano

Just across the street from the park center is the famous Kilauea Volcano crater. The volcano is what Old Faithful Geyser is to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. As of the release of this article the last eruption was December 20, 2020. Take the easy Crater Rim trail to get a better look at the crater. The tail goes along the north, eastern and southern sides of the crater passing by several of the steam vents. For the coolest pictures be sure to visit at night to see the glow from the lava in the crater.

3. Crater Rim Drive

The Crater Rim Drive is the scenic road of the park. It begins at the park visitor center and makes its way down to the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The road is 11 miles long. The first sight to see is the Sulphur Banks. Follow the boardwalk to the yellow rocks venting sulfur into the air. A result of the volcanic activity in the park. Another site is the steam vents with steam rising from right in the parking lot. Be sure to stop at the Kilauea Overlook for a commanding view of the crater. Further down, the Thurston Lava Tube, the next item on the list. There are many overlooks on this road that are worth a stop that show the power of the volcanoes.

4. Thurston Lava Tube

The Thruston Lava tube is a tunnel that was formed by a flowing river of lava that curved out this incredible place. A 1.5 mile round trip trail, starting from the Crater Rim Drive, will take you to lava tube passing through a Hawaiian rainforest. From 8 to 8 the lava tube is lit up, a flashlight is required outside those hours.