Volcano National Park, Big Island

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (official site) is located just above Volcano Village on the Big Island of Hawaii. The park entrance is at about the 29 mile marker of Highway 11 (30 minutes from Hilo, 2 hours from Kona). The park itself extends well into lower Puna and Kau and there are a few hiking trails and attractions above the entrance like Bird Park and the Mauna Loa trail.

Just inside the entrance to the park is the visitor's center and the Volcano House. The Jaggar museum and Thurston lava tube are short drives away. The lava flow and active vent, however, are another 45 minute drive down to the ocean.

The sulpher banks - this is a smelly turn in on the right just after the Visitor's center.

After the sulpher banks, as you drive toward the jagger museum, the drive opens up to a large field and on both sides are steam vents. If cold enough, it looks like a prehistoric scene with steam rising from the ground. This view is of the crater which will be on your left with steam rising in the foreground.

Halemaumau Crater is a crater within a crater (Kilauea Caldera) best seen from the Jagger museum, and if you continue along Crater Rim Drive you can actually drive right up to it. This is where several traditional ceremonies are held on significant Hawaiian dates.

A mural of the volcano goddess Pele in the Jagger Museum.

A closeup of Halemaumau Crater

Devastation Trail, located on Crater Rim Drive between the rainforest and the lava is a short hiking trail showing bare trees and cinder cones

The view down into Kilauea Iki Trail

Can't go any farther - the Chain of Craters Road dead ends into new lava here.

Plenty of visitors checking out the new lava. The shiny flow is brand new and very hot.

Very slow moving new lava.

The sign says "No parking this side of street." There used to be a street here. Now it's just all lava.

The lava flow at night.

Extreme Danger Sign with lava flow in background

This is the lava flowing directly into the ocean and the steam cloud it creates.