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| The ranger rainforest walk was very informative about the native and invasive plants found in the park |
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| Kilauea Caldera -- you can see the ash plumes but you can't get close enough to see the lava lake inside |
Outside the park, about an hour's drive away, is the Pu'u O'o crater, which has active lava flows. This area has been covered by lava flows many times over since 1986. The flows have covered the highway and destroyed houses. You can drive and park near the flow, and there is a semi-official viewing point where the road ends. (Semi-official because they don't want people going too near the flows, but they realize that people were going there anyway. So now they have some local officials on hand to make sure no one strays too far off the road). The lava is best viewed after dark, since it is a long way away.
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| The Pu'u O'o lava flow seen from the semi-official viewing area |
While we were at the viewpoint, we noticed that some of the local landowners were offering guided lava walks on their private land. This is a good way to see the lava up close but it is obviously at your own risk. Of course we signed up for a tour. It was worth it.
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| During the day you have to watch your step -- the lighter gray areas are still very hot and dangerous |
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| Kevin does his best to provoke the goddess Pele by poking the lava with a stick |
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| As dusk approaches, you can see the lava flow areas more easily |
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| The area where we were standing was covered 30 minutes after this photo was taken |
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| Anything in the path of the lava bursts into flame |
Volcanoes National National Park
Hawaii Belt Road | Volcano, HI 96778 | Visitor Information 808.985.6000
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