Deeper and Deeper into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
As you continue driving around and exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park you will find many great hiking and bicycling opportunities. Tour Guide has some 50 sights to see in the park and has details such as, parking, food and water and restroom facilities along the way.
One
of the best day hikes in the park is the Kilauea Iki Crater Trail. This
four mile round trip hike, about three hours at a nominal pace, will
descend into the crater itself. From the floor of the crater, you will
see fern, Ohia, and tropical rainforest crowding right up to the rim.
The floor itself is stark desert, by comparison, as the trail takes you
across and then up the other side. Make sure to bring plenty of water
and maybe even some snacks for this hike.
To see even more of the parks wonders, we at Tour Guide
suggest a drive down the Chain of Craters Road. This drive unlocks
dozens more sights, hikes and vistas from high mountain rainforest to
the barren lava landscapes and scenic ocean views below. Along this
road are a number of overlooks for some fabulous photography. It ends
at the sea where waves crash and spew against cliffs with steam clouds
in the distance where lava reaches the ocean. Let’s see what this
stunning area has to offer.
Lua
Manu is a pit crater formed before written records were kept of the
eruptive activity in the park. You will notice no cinder around the
rim. This indicates no eruption here but a lava lake that formed inside
the pit. As it drained, the pit collapsed, the latest of which was in
1974.
There are several more pit craters to see along this route and then you will come to Hilina Pali Road.
This nine mile road takes you to some of the most magical views of the
National Park. From forest down to the coast, the breathtaking scenery
with leave you with the awe and majesty of Mother Nature and Madam
Pele. For the hearty campers, Tour Guide will lead you to Kulanaokuaiki Campground. There are restrooms here but no water is available. At the end of Hilina Pali Road is an overlook not to be missed.
Back on Chain of Craters Road, Tour Guide
brings you to Puahi Crater, a large hourglass shaped crater that has
held lava from many different flows over the years. Most recently, the
1979 earthquakes opened the south rift of the crater and issued steam
and lava fountains. Though this episode only lasted one day, it was
precursor to the current flows from Pu’u O’o in 1983 that destroyed
hundreds of homes and businesses miles away in the Puna District.
Tour Guide
will guide you to Kipuka Kahali’i. A kipuka is a hole or space where
the lava surrounded forest or grassland but did not burn it. This one
was partially devastated by the 1969 hot ash eruption of Mauna Ulu. The
tallest trees survived and some hearty species of plants have returned.
Leave a Comment