Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is absolutely one of the most interesting national parks to explore. It’s this strange dichotomy of beauty and devastation. Between desire and fear of seeing an eruption. I love the idea that this is an island that is still forming. This island is actively changing before your very eyes and that’s such a special and, honestly, wondrous feeling. All of these things make this park extremely special and these are the things to know before visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to make the most of your experience.
First and Foremost, This Park has Two Very Active Volcanoes
As the name suggests, there are indeed volcanoes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The two volcanoes are Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa is a massive mountain that rises nearly 14,000 feet above sea level and Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on the face of the planet.
Two Active Volcanoes Means the Landscape Here is Always Changing
I think that the knowledge that these two volcanoes are active and flow at Pele’s* will is one of the things I find most fascinating. Not only because it’s a powerful force in general, but because it’s literally a changing of the landscape before your very eyes. Until visiting this park, I thought of geography, of maps, as this static thing. Not because of political boundaries, but the shapes of our landforms. That this was a constant through history and life. But upon visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I discovered that this is not true. I witnessed in real-time the way lava shaped and changed not only a landscape, but that it changes the landmass itself. The island literally grows with each eruption. Nothing is infinite and I loved this reminder that even the space we see as permanent isn’t infinite.
*Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of fire, volcanoes, lightning, and wind who created the Hawaiian Islands and is said to live inside of Kilauea.
This Also Means that Eruptions Can Happen at Any Time – Look for Closures and Safety Warnings
Because eruptions can happen at any moment and do happen frequently, sometimes roads are closed, sometimes large amounts of devastation happen – like during the eruption in 2018 that caused earthquakes that destroyed the Jagger Museum and caused a partial collapse of the rim of the crater. Things can change in an instant here, so be sure to look on the National Park Alerts page before visiting for specific closures, and definitely take heed of the warnings or alerts.
Avoid Tuesdays at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, If You Can
Tuesdays are the day that cruise ship passengers have the opportunity to be bussed into the park, making it the busiest, most overcrowded day of the week. If a Tuesday is the only opportunity to have to visit the park, I would highly recommend getting here as early as possible to hit the trails.
Be Mindful if You Have Lung Issues – Even Asthma
The fumes that come out of the volcanoes can be highly toxic. There will potentially be alerts saying you shouldn’t get near certain craters at certain times and there are frequently warnings to limit your time at craters if you have lung conditions – even asthma. I was really surprised by that as an asthma-having-wanderer, but I guess it makes sense. Also be mindful of little ones with this.
There’s Currently No Public Beach Access in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The National Parks Service did acquire a really sacred and important tract of land from the Trust For Public Land, that does include a beautiful white sand beach called Kahuku-Pōhue that is home to some endemic plants and animals and many different important cultural sites. I don’t know if/when there will be public access as it sounds like you’d have to cross private land to get here that the National Parks Service doesn’t own. So, I’ll be watching out for changes on this front.
There’s No Guarantee You’ll See Lava Here
Even though volcano is in the name, and there are two very active volcanoes here, there’s no guarantee that you’ll see active, flowing or erupting lava. When Matt and I visited here, the Jagger Museum was still open and there was an overlook up at the Kiluea Crater that a Park Ranger told us to visit around 3 am, before sunrise to see the glow from the caldera and hear the crackling of the lava. We absolutely did that and it was one of the coolest, most powerful experiences I’ve ever had.
There’s So Much More Than Active Volcanoes Here
While volcanoes are such a highlight – I mean, it’s in the name. There’s more than just the active volcanoes. There is a large section of absolutely stunning rain forest here that is unbelievable lush and stunning. The flora and fauna here are so unique and are well-worth exploring. Also, in addition to the volcanoes themselves, there are the amazing features that the volcanoes created: lava tubes, sea arches, hardened waves of lava flow across the land. It’s truly incredible. Then, there are also native Hawaiian sites like footprints from ancient Hawaiians and Petroglyphs, both along the chain of craters road.
Don’t Miss the Chain of Craters Road
I loved driving the Chain of Craters Road. There are so many pull offs with different vantage points and some hiking trails to different things along the way. It ends at the coastline at the stunning Holei Sea Arch made of solidified lava that arches out into the sapphire blue Pacific Ocean. It’s such a powerful image of the elemental nature of fire meeting water.
You Can See A Lot in One Day in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
In reality, we only spent one day exploring the park. We got there mid-morning, visited the (now closed) Jagger Museum, did the Thurston Lava Tube, a rainforest hike and then drove the Chain of Craters Road doing a handful of pullouts and walking a couple trails, then went back the next day at 3am. I would definitely love to spend more time there, but if you only have one day, don’t think you can’t see anything in that amount of time.
Don’t Miss the Kahuku Unit
We did miss this, and it’s on the top of my list for our next visit to Hawai’i. This is an old cattle ranch that literally sits on the side of Kilauea. It looks insanely lush and beautiful, and there are several trails that seem to offer up a completely different experience of these volcanoes. Just know, it’s only open 8am to 4pm Thursdays through Sundays.
Keep Nēnēs Wild
Nēnēs are the the state bird of Hawaii. They’re a super cute and super curious species of goose is actually the rarest goose in the world. They live only on the Hawaiian islands and were nearly extinct and are still considered endangered. While you should never, ever feed wildlife, in many places in the world, feeding geese is still strangely common practice. But that is a massive no no for the nēnē. Feeding animals creates a false sense of security and changes the eating patterns of animals, including nēnē, that draws them to humans, and worse to moving cars. When driving in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – and anywhere else in Hawaii, really – be on the look out for nēnēs. Let’s keep nēnēs wild and thriving.
Entrance Fee to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
To enter Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you have to pay the somewhat standard fee of $30 per private vehicle. This would be covered with the America the Beautiful National Annual Park Pass. If you plan on visiting a National Park 3 or more times in one year, I cannot recommend this pass enough. It saves us so much money each year, and even in the past, when we didn’t end up making it to enough to truly save money, we considered it a worthy donation to the National Parks Service.
Pack Snacks and Fill Up Your Gas Tank
There aren’t a lot of places to eat inside the park and many of them are just simple snack spots, but they’ll charge a premium for being purchased within the national park. And there are no gas stations within the park boundaries, so it’s best to top off before you start your day of exploring.
Gear I Recommend for Exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
A Day Pack Appropriate for Your Adventures: My personal favorite pack for day hikes is my Osprey Daylite. I love it because it’s super small, easy to carry and lightweight. It holds everything I need, especially in warm weather, and keeps me from overpacking.
Appropriate Footwear is Important: It’s recommended that you wear closed-toe shoes in this national park. The terrain is rocky, uneven, and there are sharp points to many of those rocks. For a park like this I’d recommend a lightweight pair of Merrells, like these, or trail runners.
Water & Snacks: I always have at least one of these wide-mouth Nalgene Bottles with me. They’re easy to slide into a side pocket of a pack and I love the wide mouth on them because it makes them super easy to clean. Snacks that I love to take with me are beef jerky tender bites, peanut M&Ms, dehydrated fruit strips, and honey peanut butter crackers.
Rain Jacket: Hawaii is a tropical island so, of course, always expect that there could be rain. So, it’s smart to shove a rain jacket, like this one, down in your pack.
This Journal, If You Like to Record Your Adventures: In 2024, my national parks journal was released, and I love taking it to national parks to record my adventures in it with my family, and I also love getting to be a part of other people’s adventures through this journal as well! If you like to record your national park moments, consider purchasing your own copy.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a place that is full of unbelievable beauty. It’s a land full of sacredness, stark contrasts. Life and destruction. Lush rainforest and dark desolate lava rock. Blue waters, smoky skies. It’s a place that feels so special, so sacred, so worth protecting.
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