 | Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Lava Flows Reviews | 1 - 10 of 22 |  |
The Big Island continues to grow. There are constant lava flows emanating up from the Earth's core. At the end of the Chain of Craters Road is the best place to witness active flows though who knows where you will see them tomorrow. For updates on where and how to see the lava: http://www.nps.gov/havo/visitor/lava.htm Leave a Comment Address: P.O. Box 52, Hawai'i National Park, HI 96718-0052Phone: 808.985.6000Directions: 96 miles from Kailua-Kona driving southeast on HWY11 (2 to 2 1/2 hour drive) or 30 miles from Hilo (45 minute drive).Website: http://www.nps.gov/havo/
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Look, you made it this far ... probably flew over the great ocean too ... go those extra miles and see real lava flowing down the mountain! Though hard to find, and sometimes even harder to get to, I will guarantee that standing near the actual lava flow is a truly awesome experience! And don't forget those photographs that will make bragging more believable Leave a Comment Directions: Chain of Craters road ... at the bottom
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The steam cloud that you see in the distance in the picture is a hydrochloric acid plume produced when hot lava enters the ocean. An orange glow from the lava may be reflected in the steam cloud at night.
Visitors hiking to the lava activity area are cautioned to wear optimum sunscreen, heavy boots, and carry 3-quarts of water per person.
The best viewing is at night and flashlights (and extra batteries) and rainwear are required. During the most dramatic activity, the word quickly spreads throughout the islands. At night, the cars can be lined up 2-miles or more along the road!
The area's conditions are hazardous and the hike is not recommended for those with respiratory or mobility problems. Hikers are required to stay at least a quarter-mile from the ocean as the unstable lava benches may collapse at anytime. Sections larger than a football field are known to collapse and visitors have been killed and never recovered.
One way to really get a good look at the lava flows is by Helicopter from Hilo. Helicopter tours provide an outstanding learning opportunity to view the entire 2-mile lava journey from the outflow high uphill to the lava entering the ocean. Leave a Comment
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At the "end" of Chain of Craters Road, you get an excellent opportunity to walk on lava. Continue 1/4 mile (500 meters) past the roadblock, over uneven lava. Be sure to stay on the marked path, as footing is even worse off the path... plus you run the risk of falling into actual molten lava -- not exactly the "hot time" you were hoping for! Address: PO Box 52, Hawai`i National Park, HI 96718Phone: +1 (808) 985-6000Directions: Park at the "end" of Chain of Craters Road at the mobile ranger station. Continue on about 3/4 mile (1500 meters) onto the lava field.Website: http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava.htm
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The lava flow adds significant realestate to the island of Hawaii every year. As a result, it moves from place to place, and so when one drives closer to the current flow, expect the road to be absent. Wear rugged shoes, take some water, and expect to hike a ways from the parking area. Parking will be very dense and haphazard off both sides of the road, so expect to walk a distance past parked cars just to get to the make shift ranger station where some questions can be answered. The park gives all sorts of hazard warnings, trying to reduce the crowd of old and young that may not be capable of the trip. We arrived relatively late in the day, so we took our headlight flashlights to guarantee visibility on the way back. The path across the existing cooled lava flow is indeed a hazardous one, since the fresh lava will cut hands and knee like broken glass. Navigating the trail is not hard because of the regular flow of lava watchers going in either direction. As one hikes along, the first evidence of the lava flow may be dim lights from the fires further up the gorge. The lava flow itself is cool at the surface, with molten lava just feet below. As one gets to the center of the flow, various molten lava appears in patches at the surface. I recall being required to view the glowing molten flow steaming at the sea from a vantage point quite a ways away. It's very hard to describe this experience, but dusk and evening are good times to watch the flow. Watch your footing though! Leave a Comment
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So once your in the park I recommend you go down to the end of the road, south of creator rim road. You’ll notice that the road ends. There you can see red lava flow. The road used to pass by, but in 2003 lava flowed over the road and blocked off the passage. Well walking to the lava flow you will see street signs that are engulfed by the lava. There is a ranger station, which will warn you of all the hazards related to watching the lava. Once at this small ranger station, you can begin your walk to the lava. The train is very uneven and slippery. It was about an hour walk each way to see the lava up close. Now the flows are always moving, so once at the smaller station, reed the sign that will tell you exactly how far away the lava is. Also this area contains a lava arch, which is an arch that water flows through at the waters edge. Don’t miss it, you will see signs for it at this small station.
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See molten lava! What I've wanted to see was red hot liquid lava. I know it's dangerous but that's really part of the attraction. To see it coming alive, that in itself is exhilarating! I made myself a promise, I'll be back again :-) Leave a Comment
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Watch out for molten rocks everywhere. It's a cool place but dangerous to venture on your own too. An unforgettable experience! Leave a Comment
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I think this type of lava is what the Hawaiians called AA (ah-ah) - a slow-moving lava which has hardened into rough chunks & boulders. Leave a Comment
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Now, don't you agree this is just something out of this world? Really, it's actually of this world. Sometimes, we don't even know what we are sitting on ;-) Leave a Comment
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