- Kilauea volcano
- Mauna Loa volcano
- Hawaiian volcanoes for tourists
- How to get to Hawaiian volcanoes
Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, with an area of more than 1,300 square kilometers, is located in the United States, on the Hawaiian Islands (the date of foundation of the national park is August 1, 1916).
Hawaiian Volcanoes is a park that is a unique biosystem: it is home to a variety of rare animals and plants. The park is home to active volcanoes - Kilauea and Mauna Loa.
Kilauea volcano
The summit of Kilauea has a caldera where the Halemaumau crater (active since 2008) is located - from there volcanic gas is released and a lava lake seethes. It is at the Kilauea volcano that you can witness how hot lava flows into the ocean water, and this is because Kilauea has been slowly but continuously erupting since 1983 (the eruptions are not explosive, so it is relatively safe to visit). The volcano (it reaches a height of 1247 m) is surrounded by an 18-kilometer road ring, from which it is convenient to observe its activity.
Mauna Loa volcano
At the top of Mauna Loa (its height is more than 4100 m) there is a caldera with a chain of craters. The last time it erupted was in 1984 (there have been about 40 eruptions since 1832), and since lava flows were actively pouring out, there are no steep slopes on the volcano. In the vicinity of Mauna Loa, you will be able to meet plants and animals that are endemic.
Hawaiian volcanoes for tourists
It is worth taking into account that a fee is charged for visiting the park: pedestrians and cyclists - $ 5/7 days, and from motorists - $ 10/7 days.
Most of the park is protected areas, where a network of hiking trails is developed (more than 240 km of trails have been allocated for hiking). So, courageous tourists may be interested in the 6-kilometer Kilauea Iki Trail (the start is in the Information Center area, which is 200 m from the entrance to the park; there, those who wish will be shown a film with erupting volcanoes, and they will also be offered to order their favorite tour and learn more about hiking) leading to the Kilauea Iki crater. They will cross the bottom of the crater and pass by the funnel from which lava erupted for 36 days in 1959.
Equally interesting is the challenging 31-kilometer Mauna Loa Trail. A 3-4-day hike (tourists are required to register at the Information Center and get a detailed route map) involves an ascent to the top of Mauna Loa (night temperatures are below 0˚C all year round, so you should take care of suitable clothing).
If you are interested in the easiest route, give preference to the 2.5-kilometer Kipuka Puaula Trail - you will be able to admire Hawaiian flora and fauna, in particular, Hawaiian birds, in the middle of lava fields (the best time for a hike is early morning or evening).
Those who wish will be offered to go on a cycling tour (the tour involves exploring lava fields and caves, fumaroles, craters, etc.), as well as a helicopter tour from the city of Hilo (during the tour, lasting 50 minutes, you will be able to admire the valleys, beaches and volcanoes) or Waikoloa (70- minute tour includes sightseeing of waterfalls, volcanoes and rainforests).
Hawaiian volcanoes are rich in sights. Within 3 km from the Information Center, guests of the park will stumble upon the Thomas Jagger Museum. There are exhibits in the form of equipment previously used to study volcanoes. And from the observation deck of the museum, those who wish will be able to admire the panorama of the caldera and the Halemaumau crater.
Lovers of caves will be able to find in the Thurston Lava Tube park (there used to be many lava stalactites here, but over time they were “disassembled” for souvenirs; the length of the cave is 120 m, and the ceiling height is about 3 m; there is even electric lighting there especially for tourists) and PuaPo'o (accessible only on Wednesdays, accompanied by a park ranger).
A special attraction of the Hawaiian volcanoes is Puu Loa. This object is presented in the form of a field strewn with stones, petroglyphs on which were carved in the distant past. This field along the perimeter can be bypassed exclusively along a wooden path, from which it is strictly forbidden to go (some tourists tend to chop off a piece of stone, but it is impossible to damage the fragile heritage of their ancestors).
How to get to Hawaiian volcanoes
The closest large city to the park is Hilo (from there it takes about 45 minutes to get to the park), where you can stay in hotels if you wish. But it is best to choose one of the park's campsites for living: Namakanipaio (there is water, toilet, picnic lawn and barbecue area; maximum stay - 7 days; 1 night will cost $ 15); Kulanaokuaiki (there are 8 camps, each of which has picnic areas; several places are specially equipped for the disabled; there is a toilet, but no water).
