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Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park
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PHOTOS |
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Click on a thumbnail to
see a larger version of the photo |
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OVERVIEW |
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Watch the
landscape change before your very eyes at
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Located 30
miles southwest of Hilo, this is the home of
Kilauea Volcano, one of the most active
volcanoes on earth. The chance to witness
the primal process of destruction and
creation make this park the most popular
visitor attraction in Hawaii and a sacred
place for native Hawaiians.
Founded in 1916, the Park encompasses
333,000 acres from the summit of Mauna Loa
to the sea. Here you'll find 150 miles of
hiking trails through volcanic craters,
scalded deserts, and rainforests as well as
a museum, petroglyphs, a walk-in lava tube,
and two active volcanoes: Mauna Loa, which
last erupted in 1984 and Kilauea which has
been erupting since January 3rd, 1983.
Kilauea is sometimes called "the world's
only drive-in volcano." This prolific
volcano currently produces 250,000-650,000
cubic yards of lava per day, enough to
resurface a 20-mile-long, two-lane road
daily. As of January 1994, 491 acres of new
land have been created on Hawaii's Big
Island. But the chance to watch Kilauea's
blistering lava flows meet the sea is just
one of the reasons to visit. Here are other
essential Park attractions:
Begin your visit at the Kilauea Visitor
Center where you can watch an hourly film
from 9 am to 4 pm to introduce you to the
park. Ranger talks are offered and
ranger-guided activities can be scheduled.
Pick up maps and learn about the park's
hikes here. Open daily: 7:45 am to 5 pm
Crater Rim Drive is the 10.6-mile drive that
circles Kilauea Caldera. Driving around this
loop will take you to the park's main
attractions: the Kilauea overlook, Jaggar
Museum, Halemaumau Crater, Devastation
Trail, Kilauea Iki Crater Overlook, and the
Thurston Lava Tube.
Thomas A. Jaggar Museum. He pioneered the
study of volcanology here at Kilauea. Here
you can find geologic displays, maps, and
videos about the study of volcanoes. Open
daily: 8:30 am to 5 pm
Halemaumau Crater is the home of Pele, the
volcano goddess. In 1967, this crater was
filled with a lake of lava that eventually
drained away. Great respect should be paid
at this site.
Thurston Lava Tube. Walk though a 500-year
old lava cave formed when an underground
channel of molten lava drained from its
cooled walls forming a massive, hollow
chamber. A tropical rainforest awaits you at
the end of the tube.
Currently Kilauea's lava activity isn't
centered in its caldera (the large
depression at the top of the volcano) but at
the Puu Oo vent in the East Rift Zone. Puu
Oo's lava flows flood underground tubes that
empty dramatically into the sea. You can
watch this spectacle at the end of Chain of
Craters Road.
Veering south of Crater Rim Drive is Chain
of Craters Road. This 3,700-foot drive
eventually ends where a lava flow has
literally overtaken the road. Hike over the
lava fields toward the sea cliffs where you
can see molten lava meet the sea. For the
best view, visit at dawn or dusk. Ranger
station open daily: 10:00 am to 9 pm |
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DIRECTIONS |
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http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/directions.htm |
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HIKING & CAMPING INFORMATION |
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Click Here For Hiking |
Click Here For Camping |
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WEBSITE |
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http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm |
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