Park of China
Overview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (natural, 1987) US National Park |
| Location | Hawaii, USA |
| Latitude, longitude | 19.4, -155.3 Google Maps |
| Highlights | Volcanoes |
| Area | 335,000 acres |
| Elevation | 13,681 ft |
| Nearby cities | Honolulu |
| Nearby sites | Haleakalā National Park |
| Themes | Volcano, Island, Ocean, Tropical rainforest, Hiking & climbing, Scenic drives |
About
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is in Hawaii. It was established as a US national park in 1916, and in 1987 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a natural site.
Visitor map
Travel tips
Getting there: the park is on the island of Hawaii, the Big Island. The nearest airport is Hilo on the east coast, about 45 minutes away; Kona airport on the west coast is about 2 hours by car. Honolulu has flights to both.
Volcanic activity: Kilauea has erupted repeatedly in recent years. Whether lava can be seen and which roads and trails are closed changes constantly.
Crater Rim Drive: this road circles the Kilauea caldera, with stops at Steam Vents and Sulphur Banks. After the 2018 activity, parts of it were closed for a long time.
Crater trail: the Kilauea Iki Trail circles the crater and crosses its floor, about 6 km and 3 to 4 hours.
Lava tube: Thurston Lava Tube (Nahuku) is a lit cave you can walk through, set in rain forest.
Coast road: Chain of Craters Road descends nearly 30 km to the sea across black lava flows, ending near sea arches.
Season: the park is open all year. The upland is more than 10 degrees cooler than the coast, and rain is common, so bring a rain jacket and a layer. The glow from lava is clearest at night.
Where to stay: Volcano House and the campgrounds are in the park and are convenient for viewing the crater at night; Volcano Village outside has guest houses, and Hilo has more hotels.
More photos
Map
