The “Big Island” remains the most volcanically active of the chain, perched directly above the Hawaiian hotspot. Magma continues to bulge from the depths of the earth, ever increasing the size of this young island. Unfortunately we didn’t observe a lava flow in person because the volcanoes took a little break during our visit. However, we certainly saw the results of them.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park covers much of the southern half of the island, preserving this amazing geological spectacle for all to experience. We stayed near Hilo instead of Kona specifically because of its proximity to the park.
We wanted to visit on a Tuesday until we discovered a cruise ship planned a port call on the same day. Somehow I always have this unfortunate ability to find myself surrounded by several thousand cruise ship passengers on shore leave wherever I go. And guess what they do when they disembark in Hilo? They all hop on busses and head to the park. So I shifted our schedule and came a different day.
Kilauea
Kilauea is the most well-known active volcano on the Big Island because it erupts frequently, even if it declined to cooperate for our visit. It did put on a show a few days later with a rather spectacular lava fountain but we were long gone by then. The last truly violent, widespread eruption happened in 2018 when lava flowed far downhill and destroyed a few neighborhoods.
That’s practically a second ago in geological time so this is a very special place for volcanologists.
Southeastern Rim
Kilauea formed a large oval-shaped caldera stretching a couple miles oriented on an east-west axis. Visitors can use any of several viewing platforms along the northern rim to the southeast.
Crater Rim Drive used to loop all the way around the caldera but not anymore. Vehicles are blocked from going beyond the southeastern rim. It’s too dangerous for vehicles to drive any further. Fortunately people can still hike a portion of it, following the now closed road to the Keanakakoi Overlook (map).
It feels strange trekking down the middle of the street with a double-yellow line, otherwise abandoned. Portions of pavement now lie buried below hardened lava from earlier eruptions. Even so, the hike is simple and intuitive on foot, and leads to the overlook about a mile later.
The scenery at Keanakakoi is pretty spectacular although few people make the effort. I guess the walk scares a lot of people away, who generally stick to the crater’s more popular northern side. I liked this particular angle with Kilauea hissing and the massive shield volcano, Mauna Loa, looming in the background.
Northern Rim
The scenery is great on the more accessible northern rim too, near the park’s main entrance (map). Visitors can choose from a whole string of scenic overlooks that are quite popular with the crowds. We got pretty lucky with the parking. The lots were surprisingly full even during a midweek morning.
However, that shouldn’t scare anyone away. Certainly go there if you have mobility issues, or if you don’t mind waiting for that perfect photo opportunity, or if you simply want to experience Kilauea from different angles. It’s worth the (minor) hassle.
Nene!
We all wanted to see a wild Nene in its natural habitat. The Nene, also called a Hawaiian Goose, exists only in the Hawaiian islands and even there not in great numbers, maybe only about 4,000. This makes it “the world’s rarest goose” and the only one of its kind endemic to Hawaii.
We saw lots of road signs on Maui and the Big Island warning people to drive carefully to avoid Nene. However we never saw an actual Nene for the longest time and began to think it might be a myth. Then, after stopping briefly at the Kilauea Military Camp (which was serving as the temporary park headquarters for the summer) we spotted two Nene just lounging casually on the lawn. Later we saw two more walking by the side of the road. So we observed about 0.1% of the total population!
They resemble Canada Geese, and for good reason. Many ornithologists believe a flock of Canada Geese blew off-course and landed in Hawaii about half a million years ago. They must have liked it because they never left.
Nahuku Lava Tube
Long tubes sometime form when low-viscosity lava flows. It’s a natural phenomenon that remains behind after the lava stops and finally drains. They can extend for miles.
One of them is open to the public, the Nahuku Lava Tube (map). It’s a fascinating site, a long dark tunnel with groundwater dripping from the ceiling in little “cave kisses.” I hiked a much longer lava tube at Oregon’s Newberry Volcanic National Monument several years ago. This one was nice too. Be sure to set some time aside for it.
A caution: parking is very limited. Get there early and make this your first stop. You may have to park way off in an auxiliary lot or skip it entirely if you don’t.
Chain of Craters Road
Crowds thin out considerably the farther one travels from the park entrance and away from the north rim of Kilauea. Even so, the park stretches all the way down to the sea. We followed Chain of Craters Road, which as the name implies, traverses different lava fields from successive eruptions over the last century. There are plenty of places to pull over, hike across volcanic rock, and observe nature replenishing itself.
Drive far enough, go down a steep incline, and eventually the road terminates at a small parking lot along the shoreline. Hike another half-mile-or-so and the Holei Sea Arch (map) magically appears. The underlying basalt originated from an eruption about 550 years ago. However there are various kinds of lava and they erode at different rates. Crashing waves did their thing and washed away the softer stone, leaving an arch behind. Someday this too will fall into the sea, but not today.
I wish we could have spent another day or two in the park. We didn’t get to see entire sections, even more remote than this.
Lanikai Brewing
We began our day in the park quite early and left before the crowds really picked up, just in time for a late lunch. Volcano is the closest town, right near the park entrance, and it had a brewpub. That was good enough for us. So we stopped at Lanikai Brewing Company before returning to Hilo, and I added one more place to my brewery list.
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr.
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