Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

when: Daily
where: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
cost: Car US$10; pedestrian US$5 (for 7 Days)
time: Open 24 hours a day; Kilauea Visitor Center 7.45am-5pm
Hawaii is best known as a picturesque holiday resort and the location of a slightly dodgy 1970s TV show, but more significantly it is also the home of some of the world's most spectacular volcanoes.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was established in 1916 and it is here that you can witness the results of a staggering 70 million years of volcanic activity. The park covers 217,000 acres and ranges from sea level to the summit of the Earth's most massive volcano - Mauna Loa, standing at a towering 13,677 feet and making up half the area of the island of Hawaii.

If you were to measure this giant from its base on the ocean floor it would be the tallest mountain on Earth, rising more than eight kilometres high. It most recently erupted in 1984, but there is plenty of activity going on beneath the surface. Kilauea, perhaps the world's most active volcano, is also here, making it a popular haunt for volcanologists and intrepid tourists alike.

Kilauea is the youngest volcano on the island, with a red-hot magma tap that reaches some 60km underground. Not surprisingly these monstrous mountains have given rise to local myths and legends. Kilauea is the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. Local folklore tells of eruptions sent forth by this temperamental icon well before the first Europeans saw the volcano in 1823.

There are many ways to make the most of the park (which is open throughout the year) including a helicopter ride over the summit of Kilauea, so take your pick. Due to the geography of this amazing piece of land, the park has distinct climate zones. Be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions varying from rain and chill winds to hot, dry and often windy conditions.

For up-to-date weather forecasts call +1 808 935 8555 or visit the park's website for details of how to make the most out of a visit there. Added to this there is a place called Volcano Village located just outside the entrance to the park. It is possible to stay here on the sacred lands of Ola'a - home to the descendants of the goddess Pele. Accommodation is in a prehistoric fern forest - a more weird and wonderful landscape would be hard to find.

Related Information

Website: Hawaii Volcano National Park Website

Website: Hawaii Volcano National Park Website


Venue Information: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Full Name: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, USA