Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [243]
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HAWAI′I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Of all of Hawaii’S marvels, none equals the elemental grandeur and raw power of the two active volcanoes contained within Hawai′i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO). The entire island chain is the result of the volcanic processes on display here, which is nothing less than the ongoing birth of Hawaii.
The elder sibling is Mauna Loa, whose recumbent bulk slopes as gently as Buddha’S belly, as if the earth’S largest volcano (which constitutes over half of the Big Island’S land mass) were nothing more than an overgrown hill. But, at 13,677ft, its navel is a frigid alpine desert that’S snow-covered in winter.
The younger sibling is Kilauea – the earth’S youngest and most active volcano. Within Kilauea Caldera, Halema′uma′u Crater is considered Pele’S home, and in 2008, a new Halema′uma′u eruption signaled her return after 26 years away – though she wasn’t very far. Since 1983, Kilauea’S East Rift Zone has been erupting almost nonstop from the Pu′u ′O′o vent (northeast of the caldera), adding over 500 acres of new land and providing residents and visitors with a front-row seat at one of the best shows on earth. How accommodating is this fearsome goddess – who lets people walk the steaming roof of her house and even to the edge of flowing lava itself?
In geologic terms, Hawai′i’S shield volcanoes lack the explosive gases of other volcanoes. Bomb-like explosions and geysers of lava aren’t the norm. Most of the time lava simply oozes and creeps along till it reaches the sea, which creates arcs of steamy fireworks. Naturally, whenever Pele does send up dramatic curtains of fire, people stream in from everywhere to watch.
Pele does exact a price for this entertainment. Since 1983, this side of the island has been remade. In 1988 lava blocked the coastal road to Puna, and in 1990 it covered the village of Kalapana. Flows then crept further west, engulfing Kamoamoa Beach in 1994, and later claiming an additional mile of road and most of sacred Wahaula Heiau. In 2008, in addition to the Halema′uma′u eruption, a ‘Thanksgiving Breakout’ vent sent lava back through Kalapana (Click here), and there is truly no telling how (or even if) lava will be flowing by the time you read this. Pele may be accommodating, but she keeps her own counsel.
However, no matter what the lava is doing, there is still plenty to see. At roughly 333,000 acres (and counting), HAVO is larger than the island of Moloka′i, and its landscape is more varied – with black-lava deserts, rain forests, grassy coastal plains, snowy summits and more. The park is Hawai′i’S best place for hiking and camping, with about 140 miles of trails, but you don’t have to break a sweat: good roads circle the caldera and take in the main highlights of what is certainly the USA’S most dynamic national park.
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ORIENTATION
This vast and varied park can fill as many days as you give it, particularly if you enjoy hiking. Just past the entrance, the Kilauea Visitor Center, Volcano House, and Volcano Art Center are clustered together.
The park’S main road is Crater Rim Dr, which circles the moonscape of Kilauea Caldera. If you only have a few hours, spend them seeing the drive-up sites on this road. The park’S other scenic drive is Chain of Craters Road, which leads south 20 miles to the coast, ending at the site of the most recent lava activity. It’S a two-hour round-trip drive without stops. Note that these roads, or portions of them, may close at any time due to eruption activity (as is the current case with Crater Rim Dr).
Some sites and shorter trails are accessible by wheelchair; crowds typically gather at scenic viewpoints