Hawaiian island volcanoes are a large tourist attraction for people coming to visit the area. Although people most often think about beaches and clear, warm waters when thinking about a Hawaiian vacation, there are more attractions in the area besides those. Hawaii’s active volcanoes are a tourist attraction like no other. There is a sheer power and unearthly force about a live volcano that has the potential to explode at any moment. Scientists keep an active watch on Hawaii’s active volcanoes to keep tourists out of harm’s way, but there are fumes and active lava flows at almost any time that the individuals might visit the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park.

Visiting

When visiting Hawaii’s active volcanoes, it is a good idea to check with the park’s website or to call the park to see if there are any closings due to the fumes or a change in the volcanic activity in the area. In this way, the tourist can make an informed decision as to the areas that he wishes to visit that are still open. For those that only want to spend a few hours in the park, there are roads that can be driven that take tourists across the summits of the volcanoes and through deserts and rain forests. These drives can take from two to five hours, depending on the amount of stops that are made to read information or do short hikes into the landscape.

In addition to the drives, there are also places to hike and bike to see Hawaii’s active volcanoes. Some of these trails are paved and handicap accessible. Other areas are not, and are only for those who are in good physical condition. In other places, there is a mixture of hiking and biking trails as well as camp grounds so that individuals can spend more time in the midst of nature, exploring and experiencing all that Hawaii’s active volcanoes have to offer.

If individuals want something more structured, there are tours that are given by the rangers in the park. Some of these are only talks, but there is a tour of the summit that is given every day, twice per day, to allow individuals to learn about the biology, geology and cultural history of the area. There are also junior programs that allow children to learn more about the ecology of the area, offering programs and hikes through the area. In addition, there are programs that allow individuals to help to keep the park clean, explaining about the health of the park and how to keep it clean.

When visiting Hawaii, tourists often visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It is not often that individuals get to see active volcanoes up close and personal, so it can be a dangerous thrill to go and visit while on vacation. There are different ways to explore the Hawaiian volcanoes in the park. There are some visitors that want to see what they can by car in a short amount of time. There are others that want a more personal view and will explore by hiking or biking in the park. Others will go to places where they can camp and spend more time exploring over the course of several days, and still others that will participate in different lava viewings and ranger programs that the park offers.

Time Constraints

Whenever visiting the Hawaiian volcanoes, it is a good idea to check the website for the park to see if there are any closings due to hazardous fumes or eruptions. A tourist with a short amount of time does not want to plan on visiting one place and then find that it is closed and have to see if he can reroute to another part of the park.

If a person only has a few hours to visit the Hawaiian volcanoes, there are ways to do a drive through the park to see some of the sites. One of these is the Crater Rim Drive, which gives individuals an opportunity to go for eleven miles through the summit of the volcano. One caution with this drive is that it can be closed during certain times when there is volcanic activity going on. However, when it is open, individuals are able to see much of the summit, the rain forest and also opportunities to stop and take short walks through the scenery as well.

If the person has a little more time to cruise through the park they can take the road that goes by the East Rift of the Hawaiian volcanoes. This road goes by the coast line of the region and explores twenty miles of the Chain of Craters road. This road also has to be checked for accessibility since there are active lava flows in the area which mean that the landscape is always different when tourists visit, but also that parts of the road may close at times for safety reasons. One precaution on this road is to fuel up, not only the car but also with any water or snacks that the tourists require since there are not any stops to get these things along the course of the road.

Hawaii is amazing! Between the weather, the water, and the culture, it is a place that many people want to visit some time in their life, and quite a few people visit regularly.

One of the things that many tourists are thrilled to see are the volcanoes. Since Hawaii is formed on the tops of volcanoes, volcanoes figure prominently in the history and culture of Hawaii. Where can you learn more about these fascinating geologic forms? There are many places to get more information about the Hawaiian volcanoes.

Volcanoes National Park

Located on the Big Island of Hawaii, Volcanoes National Park is a great place to learn more about the volcanoes of Hawaii. Near the entrance of the part is the Kilauea Visitor Center. This has exhibits, a movie, information about current Hawaii volcano activities or you can walk and talk with a park ranger.

Within a walk’s distance from here is the edge of Kilauea Caldera. That’s the pit of Halemaumau, which is part of Kilauea Volcano.

A short drive away are the Steam Vents. You can also get information at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Jaggar Museum.

You should also plan to drive down the Chain of Craters Road to see what is happening now in terms of volcanic activity. On this adventure, you can follow the road to the coast, and actually see where the Hawaiian volcano lava flows into the ocean.

Being in Hawaii and seeing the volcanoes up close and personal is the best way to get information about the volcanoes in Hawaii.

But I’m Not In Hawaii!

From the mainland, you can get information about the volcanoes in Hawaii other places. Libraries have many books – often with full color photos – that can answer many of your volcano related questions.

There are also films – documentaries – about the volcanoes and volcanic activity in Hawaii. Check with National Geographic and similar magazines for articles as well.

Check Online

If you do a quick search online, you will find a lot of information about the volcanoes in Hawaii. They have spectacular photos and sometimes even videos embedded in the site. There are sites that tell the legends about each volcano, as well. These stories can be very interesting reading and can help you understand the volcanoes and the culture surrounding them even better. The list of resources available over the Internet with information about the volcanoes in Hawaii is almost inexhaustible – it is almost as good as actually being there.

Did you realize that the Hawaiian Islands are on the tops of major undersea volcanoes? Few people do! There are more than fifteen volcanoes in what we consider the Hawaiian Islands, though currently only three are considered active. It’s not just the Hawaiian beaches you should visit – also take a look at the volcanoes of Hawaii while you’re there!

Hawaii – Basic Information

Hawaii is made up of eight main islands. They are Hawaii, Kauai, Niihua, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Oahu. There’s a small island called Kaala, and then nine more land masses that are above sea level, bringing the total of islands to eighteen. Some people also like to take into account the hundred plus rocks and islets that also show above the water line. All in all, that makes 130 or so in the whole area. All of these are considered to be volcanic, marine sedimentary or erosional in origin. This explains why the Hawaiian Islands and lava from the Hawaii volcanoes will be forever linked.

How Were These Volcanoes Formed?

These volcanoes were over a “hot spot” on the earth. As the Hawaiian volcanic lava erupting, these eventually grew taller than sea level, making islands. Then the seafloor moved, at a rate of 7-9 cm a year, the volcanoes moved north, pulling away from the “hot spots.” These volcanoes are no longer active. But two still are, Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

There is also Lo’ihi, which is a new volcano! Since Lo`ihi is still about 1,000 meters below sea level, there’s nothing to see above the level of the ocean. The other two active volcanoes are Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

About Hawaiian Volcano Lava

Modern geologists and volcanologists have two words to describe the lava flows from Hawaiian volcanos. The two words are Pahoehoe and ‘a’a.

Pahoehoe is a smooth surfaced lava flow. By contrast ‘a’a is a rough and broken surfaced lava flow. In the Hawaiian Dictionary, Pahoehoe means “smooth and unbroken, or satin (like the fabric)”.

Traditionally, the term ‘a’a is supposed to be the sound of someone walking across the lava in bare feet. While that makes for a clever story, it doesn’t quite match up with the reality. The Hawaiian Dictionary says that ‘a’a means many things, including a small root or vein, stony, to challenge, to burn. Maybe the definitions of burning or challenge are what prompted Hawaiians to call volcanic lava of these types ‘a’a.

Whatever the true meaning, be sure to see both types while you are visiting Hawaii and seeing the volcanic lava.

When visiting Hawaii there are many different tourist attractions on the islands. Some come to visit the beaches to bask in the sun and explore the magnificent waters. Others will come to hike through the vast rain forests and to dive off the coast lines to see the reefs and underwater creatures. In addition to all of these adventures, there is also Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park which hosts a variety of live volcanoes that tourists can explore via roadways and pathways so that they have a variety of options to fit the time that they have to visit the park. There are Hawaii volcano tours in the park so that guides can take the tourists through and explain all of the different features.

What to See

One of the great places to explore in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is the Crater Rim Drive. This drive goes down about eleven miles of roadway where individuals can see the desert and rain forest as well as the summit of the volcano. There are certain times of year that this roadway will be closed so tourists should check with the park to see if the road is open or if it is closed due to volcanic activity.

Another place to visit in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is the various places where there are lava flows. Individuals should also check with the park to see what roads are open to see these flows, but once they have, there are many places to drive through or hike through to see them. One such road is the East Rift and coastal area in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. This road goes for twenty miles through the park along the coastline where there is lava activity in certain sections of the road. This means that the scenic views are always changing, as the lava moves and hardens in the park.

In addition to these drives, there are also day hikes, camping areas and biking trails through Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park. Going on these different trails or camping trips give individuals a more personal look at the different things to see in the park, but they also require more time to visit. The drives can be done thoroughly in anywhere from two to five hours, whereas the hikes and the camping can take days to explore. When visiting the park, individuals should always have their cameras and binoculars along so that they can more readily capture the sights of the area, including the various birds and other wildlife that can be found in Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park.