Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii contains two of the most active volcanoes on Earth — Kilauea and Mauna Loa — within a 325,000-acre landscape ranging from black lava fields at sea level to the 13,677-foot summit of Mauna Loa. The park is the most geologically dynamic national park in the United States, where new landmass is actively being built. The primary visitor hub is the Kilauea Visitor Center along Crater Rim Drive, positioned near the rim of the vast Kilauea Caldera. The 11-mile Crater Rim Drive loops around the caldera, passing steam vents, sulfur banks, and overlooks above Halema'uma'u Crater — the active vent within Kilauea that has hosted recurring lava lake eruptions in recent years. When lava is active within Halema'uma'u, a red glow is visible from multiple overlooks at night, creating one of the most extraordinary natural spectacles in the national park system. Eruption conditions change frequently; the park posts daily updates at its website and at the visitor center. Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube) is a 500-foot lit underground tunnel formed by flowing lava whose surface cooled and hardened while the molten interior drained. The surrounding fern and ohia lehua rainforest provides an atmospheric contrast to the stark lava landscape. Chain of Craters Road descends 3,700 feet from the caldera rim to the ocean, passing dozens of pit craters and ending where a massive 1990 lava flow buried the original road. The Kilauea Iki Trail is a 4-mile loop that descends into a hardened lava lake formed during a 1959 eruption, crossing a still-steaming crater floor on uneven lava terrain. The park is open 24 hours, enabling night visits during active lava events. The park entrance is 30 miles from Hilo and 96 miles from Kona. Entry is $35 per vehicle, valid for seven days.