Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The Park is open 24 hours a day. I’m not sure if there’s a fee to enter at 3 in the morning, but the gates are wide open and there’s no one around to take your money (and no box to drop any money into).

Of course everything is closed, and you don’t see nearly as much.

But on the flip side, the glow of the red lava is spectacular. In the middle of the Park the world is jet-black, with very few lights to spoil your view of the night sky and very few sounds to interfere with the waves and the wind. No tour bus crowds, no lines, no jostling for position.

Be sure to bring a flashlight, though!

It looks beautiful!!

I want to stay at the Volcano Guest House.
http://www.volcanoguesthouse.com

We went in february 07 and have to go back and ride a bike down Mt Haleakala. What an amazing place!

It isn’t very often that a person has the opportunity to see a volcano. I recommend going here if you are visiting Hawaii’s big island. Very interesting and a great place to take pictures.

My son went to a little school right in the park and took alot of walks and did science stuff but soon I realised he wasn’t being taught how to read or do math so I took him out and put him in Keeau School. But it is a beautiful park, amazing.

I made it here from Oahu on a weekend trip to the Big Island. I wanted to go here to see lava. Unfortunately, I didnt see any. The closest I got is I hiked about 2 miles to a hill where a ranger pointed out rising smoke in the distance saying that was lava burning up the rain forest. The place where the lava actually was was inaccessible though. I could have taken a helicopter, but maybe from way up high I wouldnt be able to see anything. Either way, I wouldnt get very close like I wanted to. The place was definitely worth visiting, even though I didnt see any lava. One tip I have for you though is if you can go pretty much whenever you want, wait until there is lava visible and go then. I only had this one chance to go so I took it. But if you can wait until there’s lava (call the park and ask), then wait. Cool place though, with awesome scenery. The hardened, cooled lava is awesome, and so is the drive down to the coast.

Pele’s sacred forest is in the rainforests of Kilauea on the Big island. The hula all started with the swaying of the ohia trees in the winds. The rains come in the night time. The birds come, the shy cardinal and the noisy mynah, the big Kalij pheasant. The earth is being born here. Go down the road in the park at the end of the day, and walk out on the lava. As the day light fades, you see the lava pouring in fire rivers down the mountain. Stand in the steam vent. Walk across the crater itself. Leave a lava stone wrapped in a ti leaf, and Pele will welcome you back.

i grew up in puna. i have hiked every trail in the park and love spending time out in the backcountry. if you intend on going to the park, make sure you get out of your car. there are some beaches along the puna coast that are worth the hike if you spend three or four days at them. there are no fountains of lava anymore, the best you can hope to see is a glowing lava tube.

Such a beautiful place, and it’s in the middle of Hawaii- you can’t go wrong. My wife and I were here during our honeymoon. The landscape is surreal and gorgeous. Make sure to spend at least a few hours there; more if you want to do some extra hiking/touring/visitor center stuff. And it can get a bit chilly and rainy up there.

Highly recommend it if you’re on the island.