Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was a lovely surprise. Yes, I expected to see a volcano, but I didn’t expect to get such an in-depth education on how the Hawaiian Islands came to be, including the flora and fauna we see today. I stayed overnight in the nearby town of Volcano and spent the entirety of March 3 exploring the Park. We had a rental car to explore, which is likely the best way to explore the Chain of Craters Road. In this post, I will share my favorite sights along the way.
One important thing to note: there is no visible lava in the National Park. Although there is a lava lake forming in the Kilauea Caldera, it is not visible from any overlooks. You must take a helicopter ride over the volcano to see the lava. I have my fingers crossed in hopes of returning to the Big Island to see flowing lava.
We did one longer hike during our day of exploration, which was the Kīlauea Iki Crater Hike. I wrote an in-depth blog post about the hike, which you can check out here. For other longer hikes, check out the National Park Service (NPS) website and map.
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A Brief Orientation to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park covers a lot of ground, including Mauna Loa and Kilauea’s summits and the area surrounding Kilauea to the ocean. The area I will be discussing today is the main area surrounding Kilauea. Immediately upon entering the National Park, there will be an option to turn left onto the Chain of Craters Road. I recommend first going straight to get a view of the massive Kilauea Caldera. You can visit the Steam Vents, and the Kilauea Overlook on this short drive, which is perfect if you are only going to spend an hour or so in the park. If you have more time, I recommend going on an adventure down the Chain of Craters Road.
The Chain of Craters is an aptly named road that skirts a series of large (but not nearly as large as Kilauea) craters, crosses enormous expanses of lava flows, and meanders down to the ocean. The park map suggests that you budget 6 hours for this drive, which is a reasonable estimate if you plan to stop at each overlook and do one or more of the hikes. The drive alone is roughly 30 – 45 minutes each way and incredibly scenic.
The area that we did not try to explore was Mauna Loa. Not only were the roads closed, but they also do not go all the way to the top. You can, however, hike to the summit. Don’t let the gentle slopes deceive you. Mauna Loa is 13,677 ft and had a dusting of snow when I visited in March 2021. Mauna Loa is an exciting hike that I would consider doing if I was well-trained for the occasion.
Steam Vents/Steam Bluffs
Typically the first stop when entering the National Park is also a worthy stop and reminds you that this is a living, active volcano – the steam vents and steam bluffs. Water and rain seep into the water table, heats up, and escapes through vents along the Kīlauea Caldera ledge. In the parking area, there are a couple of vents to get you excited. Then, it is a short walk to the bluffs. In my opinion, the cliffs are the best part, with views over the Caldera and steam rising from everywhere around you. It feels as if the volcano is breathing.
Surprisingly, the steam does not smell like anything except moist air. I suggest walking along the bluffs for a different view. There is a section with vents on one side and the bluff on the other along the trail. If you would like a more pungent experience, you can check out the Sulfur Banks from this trail. We opted to continue exploring the other areas of the park instead of finding the sulfur banks.
Kīlauea Caldera Overlook (& at Night)
Although you can see the Kilauea Caldera from the Steam Bluffs, I still think it is worth the drive to see the caldera from the overlook. As of December 2020, lava vents have created a lava lake in the Kilauea Caldera. The lava itself is not visible from the lookout, but you can see the orangy-red glow from the lava at night. On the night of March 3, there were clear skies after a rainstorm the day before when we visited. Not only could we see the lava’s glow, but the Milky Way above. It was incredible. My iPhone was barely able to capture the glow, but definitely not the stars… might be time for me to invest in a fancy camera and tripod.
It was nice to visit the Caldera overlook during the day, so we knew exactly where to go later that night. Unfortunately, the Jagger Museum was closed during our visit. For the best lava updates, I recommend checking the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park website. Leading up to the trip (and even now), I enjoyed following the National Park on Instagram for more regular updates.
Kīlauea Iki Crater Hike
If you’re only going to do one hike at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I highly recommend the Kīlauea Iki Crater Hike because you can walk across a lava lake that is now the floor of the crater. It is an other-worldly landscape that makes you feel small in comparison to the massive crater. Check out the Kilauea Iki Crater from above at one of the many overlooks to see the tiny hikers below before starting the hike, so you can have a completely different perspective while hiking. I also loved that you can make this hike into a loop.
I wrote an in-depth blog post about the hike – check it out here if you’re interested in doing this incredible hike.
Chain of Craters Drive
As I mentioned in the brief orientation above, the Chain of Craters Drives is aptly named and an excellent way to experience Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Although I’m not sure where the drive begins, I will say it’s when you make a left away from the Devastation Trail Parking Area and head to the ocean. Almost immediately, you will see the first of many craters. Some of these craters are less noticeable – depressions with a lot of large rocks. Others are apparent enormous craters with steep bluffs. The park map has the larger cavities labeled.
Just when you are getting tired of getting out of the car to look at craters, the scenery makes a dramatic change from lush rainforest to barren lava flows. Signs that simply list the year mark the different lava flows areas. Watch out for Nene’s – the Hawaiian goose which might be crossing the road or looking for snacks. As soon as we parked at a particular overlook, a Nene apparated out of nowhere, eager for handouts.
The final section of the road meanders down an enormous bluff to the ocean. During this section, elevation decreases, but temperatures increase. There was a whopping twelve-degree temperature difference between the rainforest area and the ocean area when I visited – crazy! You can see all the areas along the bluff that had a lava flow on the drive to the ocean. Then there are rocky lava rock fields and a jagged ocean cliff. With the wind and the waves, this area makes for a raw and wild nature experience.
Holei Sea Arch
One of the main reasons to drive down to the ocean on the Chain of Craters Road is to see the Holei Sea Arch. Once you park near the end of the road, it is a 5-minute walk to the Sea Arch overlook. This walk was tougher than I anticipated due to the intense wind that happens near sea level. But the walk was also more leisurely than expected because it follows a paved road. Along the road, there are signs with descriptions of where each plant originated.
When you get to the overlook, you can see the Sea Arch in the distance. Due to the land’s topography, I bet this was the safest place for the National Park Service to have people get anywhere near the cliff. Honestly, it was a bit underwhelming. With this in mind, try to appreciate the drive itself, the raw wild nature of the crashing waves against the lava-black cliffs.
Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs
Also toward the ocean is a short hike to Ancient Hawaiian Petroglyphs. This 1.4-mile round-trip trail allows you to “walk in the footsteps of the elders,” as the NPS website puts it, to see images carved into the lava rock. There are over 23,000 petroglyphs in the area, which you can view from a boardwalk. Unfortunately, we decided to skip this hike this time, but I am interested in visiting in the future. Read more about this hike on the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park website.
Thurston Lava Tube
Ah, another Covid-caused closure. The Thurston Lava Tube and parking area were closed when visiting in March 2021. The lava tube is something I definitely would have loved to check out, so I was a bit bummed! If you’ve gone in this lava tube or others, please let me know about it in the comments – I would love to hear what it was like. And you can always read more about the Thurston Lava Tube on the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park website.
Where to Stay to Explore Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
We stayed in the town of Volcano in an incredible Airbnb called the Fiddlehead House. Surrounded by ferns, the Fiddlehead House is only a 5-minute drive from the National Park entrance. This house had beautiful architecture with massive windows to watch the rain and a shower that opened up to the yard for you to shower with the ferns. There seemed to be many Airbnb options in the small town of Volcano. Alternatively, you can stay in the National Park with a view over the Kilauea Caldera at the Volcano House. I also saw a hotel in the town of Volcano.
We stayed two nights in Volcano, but if you plan to do more extensive hiking, I recommend that you visit for a minimum of three nights and soak up the incredible beauty of this rainforest. One thing to note is that Volcano can get quite chilly at night. We utilized the fire and many heaters in the Fiddlehead House, so bring layers!
Overall Thoughts: Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes
Exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for the first time was incredible. The National Park is a perfect example of the variety of microclimates, depending on elevation, rain, and wind. We explored the lush rainforest around the Kilauea Caldera, which was completely different from the barren lava fields near the ocean. Speaking of vegetation, the National Park did a phenomenal job of incorporating the Hawaiian Islands’ history into all of their materials. After visiting, I felt much more knowledgeable about Big Island’s flora and fauna.
I hope that this list of things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes NP encourages you to explore the park’s outdoor activities. And don’t forget to check out my other post about hiking the Kilauea Iki Crater Trail!
What are your favorite things to do in Hawaii VolcanoesNational Park? I found it to have a wide variety of environments that were neat to check out with some things that I didn’t get to do. Let me and other travelers know in the comments what I should look forward to in the future!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
