Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island of Hawaii, protects two of the world's most active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The landscape ranges from rainforest to stark lava fields and steaming craters, and it is a place of deep cultural significance to Native Hawaiians, who regard Kilauea as the home of the volcano deity Pele. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
The Kilauea Visitor Center is the place to check current eruption activity and safety conditions, which can change quickly. Along Crater Rim Drive, Uekahuna and nearby overlooks provide views into the caldera, which changed dramatically during the 2018 eruption and collapse. Steam Vents and Sulphur Banks are short walks showing the volcano's ongoing activity. The Kilauea Iki Trail descends through rainforest onto the floor of a solidified lava lake. Nahuku, also called the Thurston Lava Tube, is a lit cave formed by flowing lava, and the Devastation Trail crosses an area blanketed by cinder. Chain of Craters Road descends toward the coast, passing Mauna Ulu and the Puu Loa Petroglyphs, which hold thousands of carvings, before ending near the Holei Sea Arch.
The park suits travelers curious about geology and Hawaiian culture. The village of Volcano, just outside, offers lodging and rainforest walks. Weather near the summit can be cool and wet, so layers are useful.
WiserMap travel guideHawaii Volcanoes National Park Lava Tubes and CratersPlan a trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Kilauea's summit overlooks, Nahuku lava tube, Chain of Craters Road, Kilauea Iki trail and where to stay nearby.Read the guide
The main visitor center near the park entrance, with exhibits on volcanoes, Hawaiian culture and native wildlife, a film, and rangers who post daily updates on eruption activity and closures. Tip: stop here first to check which roads and trails are open, and join a free ranger talk.
A historic hotel on the rim of Kilauea caldera, with roots going back to the 1800s. Its restaurant and lounge have big windows facing the crater, and a fireplace has burned almost constantly for many years. Tip: even if you stay elsewhere, come for a meal or drink with the view.
Uekahuna, a bluff on the west side of Kilauea caldera, gives one of the best views of Halemaumau crater, and other overlooks lie along Crater Rim Drive. During eruptions the glow can be seen at night. Tip: check the park website for eruption status before you go.
Near the visitor center, steam rises from cracks in the ground where rainwater meets hot rock, and a boardwalk trail leads to Sulphur Banks with yellow mineral deposits and volcanic gas. Tip: people with heart or breathing problems should avoid the sulfur area.
At the bottom of Chain of Craters Road, a tall natural arch carved by waves into a lava cliff stands above the ocean. Beyond, the road ends where lava flows have covered it. Tip: there is no food, water or fuel along the 19-mile road, so prepare before heading down.
A 3.3-mile loop that descends through rainforest onto the floor of Kilauea Iki crater, a lava lake that erupted in 1959 and is still steaming in places. Walking across the solid crater floor is a highlight. Tip: it has some 400 feet of descent and climb, and little shade on the floor.
A paved, easy one-mile trail through an area buried by cinders from the 1959 Kilauea Iki eruption, where plants slowly return to a stark landscape. It ends at the Puu Puai overlook. Tip: it is accessible and good for families or anyone wanting a short walk.
A lava shield along Chain of Craters Road that erupted from 1969 to 1974. A trail crosses the old lava flows, with ropy pahoehoe, tree molds and fissures, to the summit of Puu Huluhulu for wide views. Tip: follow the stone cairns, as the trail is hard to see on lava.
A separate section of the park on the slopes of Mauna Loa, about an hour south of the main entrance, on a former ranch. Trails cross grasslands, forest and cinder cones, and it is far quieter than the summit. Tip: check opening days, as it is open only part of the week.
A large lava tube formed hundreds of years ago when the outer crust of a lava flow hardened and the molten rock drained away. A short loop leads through tree fern rainforest and the lit tube. Tip: parking is small, so visit early morning or late in the day.
One of the largest petroglyph fields in Hawaii, with more than 23,000 images carved into hardened lava, including many cupules made to hold a newborn's umbilical cord. A boardwalk protects the carvings. Tip: the 1.4-mile round-trip walk is hot, so bring water and a hat.
A kipuka, an island of old forest surrounded by younger lava flows, off Mauna Loa Road. A one-mile loop trail passes native trees and is known for birdsong, including honeycreepers. Tip: walk slowly and quietly in the morning, when the birds are most active.
No reviews yet. Been to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photosPhoto: Brocken Inaglory, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Graeme Churchard from Bristol (51.4414, -2.5242), UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Relativity, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Ekrem Canli, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Brocken Inaglory, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Brocken Inaglory, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: W Nowicki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: National Park Service/S. Geiger, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Thomas C. Gray, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: NPS Photo, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: gbohne from Berlin, Germany, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: incidencematrix, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Henry Lyman Chase, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: NPS Photo, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: J Doll, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER from southeast AZ, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER from southeast AZ, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER from southeast AZ, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Hermann Luyken, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Brocken Inaglory, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: NPS Photo, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Gnom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: NPS Photo, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Michael Oswald, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: MPSharwood, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: MPSharwood, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: MPSharwood, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: LuxTonnerre from Munich, Germany, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
