Kilauea Update

While there are many reasons to visit the "Big Island" of Hawai'i, none are bigger than the opportunity to get a close up look at Kilauea, the world's most active volcano. Much to my delight, it has been acting up again and sending lava steaming into the ocean. One of the real highlights of my travels (I tend to like adventure travel) has been to hike down to the actual lava flows and stand so close that I could have stepped into the boiling lava. Witnessing Kilauea's molten lava flows, curling steam clouds, vast lava fields, heated steam vents, sulfur banks, prehistoric lava tubes and huge summit caldera is an unforgettable experience.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is open daily. The Kilauea Visitor Center in the park is open from 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is the place to start your tour of the park. After paying your $10-per-car admission fee and getting a map, walk over to the Volcano House for a first glimpse of the crater. The nearby Volcano Art Center exhibits high-quality works by local artists (phone 808-967-8222 for a schedule of events). The art center also rents tape players and an audio-tour tape of the park that's quite informative ($10). For More Information, call Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at (808) 985-6000.

Volcanic activity in the national park is unpredictable, varying from day to day. In most cases you will be able to observe lava, but in some instances you can get closer to it than at others. Crater Rim Drive is an 11-mile drive that circles the Kilauea caldera, traveling through a fern-filled rain forest past overlooks, hiking trails, earlier lava flows and petroglyph fields. Don't miss the Devastation Trail and Thurston Lava Tube. About halfway around is the turn off for Chain of Craters Road. The 3,700-foot drive down this road brings you to the point where molten lava meets the ocean. After dark, multiple lava flows illuminate the mountainside in the distance. Call ahead for the latest lava viewing update.

The prime place to see lava is at the viewing area at the end of Chain of Craters Road (the road ends because it, along with a visitor center, was wiped out by a lava flow). Routes over old lava flows lead to places where you can observe the flow. It is important to stick to designated areas at all times. Try to visit at dusk as the sun setting on the desolate landscape of hardened lava is spectacular, and the lava flowing into the sea can be best seen at night (flashlights are required to find your way back to your car). A brief visit to the area will take less than an hour, but those who are as fascinated as I am by the spectacle may want to allow two or three hours.

One of my passions is hiking and trails abound in the park, into dense rainforests, around steaming calderas and along lava flows. One of the most memorable walks is in Kipuka Puaulu, called Bird Park because of the many native birds you can see flitting between lehua blossoms and high above in the ohia trees. You can also walk into the Kilauea Caldera on a well-marked trail that starts at the Volcano House. Ask the park rangers about other trails.

You might also check before your trip with the Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy or the Audubon Society for information about their programs in the park.

To see photos and get the very latest eruption and flow news check here: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

To get to the Big Island to have this once in a lifetime experience for yourself send me an email:
Joyce Craddock
jc@incrediblejourney.net