Ke Akua Wahine o ka pohaku 'ena 'ena, 'eli 'eli kau mai!
“Oh Goddess of the Burning Stones, may wonder and awe possess me!” – Hawaiian chant
Few phenomena captivate the human imagination like the volcano, a mountain through which liquid fire from the bowels of the earth explodes to the surface, creating – and sometimes destroying – land. Just as erupting volcanoes inspired awe in ancient Hawaiians for Pele, the tempestuous goddess of the volcano, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park enchants visitors today.
One of the Big Island’s five volcanoes, Mauna Loa, towers nearly 14,000 feet above the park, while Kilauea erupts within it. Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano, started erupting in 1983 and hasn’t stopped. When it first erupted, a fountain of lava shot 1,532 feet into the air, almost three times the height of the Washington Monument. Over 20 years later, the lava continues to flow – about 175,000 yards flow into the ocean every day.
Millions of visitors flock to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park each year to gape at the steaming craters and drive to “The End of the Road” – so called because the road ends where lava flowed over it – to watch lava pour into the ocean, sending up a massive cloud of steam as it does. But more adventurous visitors, with time for more than a cursory visit, discover even more of the park’s wonders, developing a lasting appreciation for the majesty of this amazing National Park.
There are over 150 miles of maintained hiking trails in the park, and with only a few steps onto one of them you’ll find a more intimate experience. Some of the trails are paved, short and easy, while others traverse lava flows with trails marked only by rock cairns, called ahu. Some of the easier ones include a short hike to a collection of petroglyphs, mysterious symbols carved onto lava rocks by ancient Hawaiians. The Puu Huluhulu hike passes numerous lava trees, formed when lava swept through a forest and entombed the trees in rock before draining away.
An amble through Kipuka Pualu, a.k.a. Bird Park, is a chance to experience a kipuka – in this case, an island of old growth forest formed when a newer lava flow surrounded an older one. Here the native hardwood trees – koa and o'hia that are hundreds of years old – are filled with the songs of native honeycreepers, who flash bright red and yellow as they flit between branches. You’ll undoubtedly share the trail with Kalij pheasants, colorful game birds that strut around like they own the forest. While these cocky birds start to seem common in the park, catching sight of an endangered Nene, the state bird and the world’s rarest goose, is a special chance to admire the bird’s clumsy grace.
Longer hikes, such as the Crater Rim Trail, allow for a visceral appreciation of the diverse beauty of the park, passing by stunning views of the park’s major craters like Pele’s home of Halema'uma'u, vistas of the Steaming Bluff, through stark lunarscapes of lava deserts, and into lush rainforests. One of the park’s most popular hikes is Kilauea Iki, which crosses the floor of the steaming crater. The experience is other-worldly, as is hiking the Napau Trail to get close to the Pu'u O'o vent, the opening from which Pele has been spewing lava since 1983.
Keen-eyed hikers in the park may spot Pele’s Hair, hair-like strands of volcanic glass, or her tears, small droplets of lava. Cavers with flashlights can venture into the “dark side” of Thurston Lava Tube, a way to glimpse the natural tunnel without overhead lights. No matter which adventure you choose, you will feel the power and diverse beauty of nature at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
The nearby town of Volcano Village has one of the highest concentrations of bed and breakfasts on the island, and boasts some terrific restaurants, too. There may not be too much in the way of nightlife, but with an art gallery, a high-country golf course and the island’s only winery, there’s more here than meets the eye.
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