Even though you may feel geared up and ready for your adventure in the Big Island’s Hawaii Volcano National Park, there are still some things to be aware of. We want to ensure you enjoy your time in the park, from the moment you step through the entrance to your first look at some of the marvelous features it hides within. Follow our Hawaii Volcanoes National Park tips and you’ll be ready for an adventure you won’t forget!
Check out these helpful Hawaii Volcanoes National Park visitor tips.
1. Arrive Early
A crucial Hawaii Volcanoes National Park visitor tips is to know that the park gets busier as the day progresses. If you want to get a great parking spot and beat the crowds, plan to arrive early in the morning. When Kilauea is actively erupting, the park gets even busier than usual, so keep this in mind. The main gate is open 24 hours a day, so you can arrive at any time you want. The tour buses start arriving around 10 am, but if you arrive before then, you can have some quiet time in the park by yourself.
If you are planning any hikes in the park, it is best to start in the morning when it is cooler. There is no shade on the caldera floor, and it can get very hot down there on sunny days. And the climb back up the rim is steep and can be brutal in the midday heat.
2. Don’t Overpay at the Gate
Currently, the entrance fee to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is $30 per vehicle. However, the annual pass is only $80, and will give you free access to all federal recreation sites managed by:
- National Park Service
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- US Forest Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Reclamation
- US Army Corps of Engineers
The annual pass is completely FREE for active military members and their dependents, Gold Star family members, veterans, and any US citizens and permanent residents with permanent disability. Also, every 4th grader in the US gets a free annual pass (which includes their families, of course). Senior citizens (62+) may purchase the annual pass for $20 – $10 less than the entrance fee! Seniors can also purchase a lifetime pass for just $80.
You won’t have time to review all your options when you’re sitting at the gate with a line of cars behind you. So it’s a good idea to check out the NPS website beforehand and see if you qualify for a free or discounted entrance fee.
3. Go off the beaten path (but stay on the trails!)
Several great hiking trails in the park offer some amazing views and will allow you to escape the crowds you’ll often find at the sites that you can drive to. You can hike up the slopes of Mauna Loa or to Kiluaea’s caldera floor, depending on your preference.
Both the Iki Trail and the Halemaumau Trail will take you to the bottom of the caldera and back up the rim in around 3 miles. The climb back up is steep, but short, and hiking across a caldera floor is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Some areas are roped off for your safety, of course, so please stay on the trail and stay safe.
For those looking for a less strenuous hike, check out the path to the Waldron Overlook from the Volcano House Inn. It’s a .5 mile walk along an old park road that is now closed to traffic. It’s an easy stroll, relatively flat, and the view from the overlook is spectacular. The boardwalks at Sulpur Banks and the petroglyphs are also interesting, easy walks that usually aren’t very busy.
Insider Tip: Tours never visit the Holei Sea arch or the petroglyphs because the road to them is steep and windy, and they don’t want the wear and tear on their vehicles. And many visitors feel the same way! As a result, these areas are always less busy than the areas closer to the park entrance. As a rule, the further down the Chain of Craters road you travel, the less busy it gets.
4. Have realistic expectations about seeing lava
While Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, lava is not always present, and most visitors will not see lava. Don’t let that deter you; there are so many interesting things to see and do in the park, you’ll have a great adventure with or without lava. There are lava fields to scamper across, steam vents, views for days, a lava tube to walk through, ancient petroglyphs, a sea arch formed from lava pouring into the ocean, and even a historic inn built on the edge of an active volcano. And you’ll get to stand on the edge of an active volcano and peer into it.
Go with the intent to enjoy all the park has to offer, and if you happen to see some lava, consider yourself very lucky. You can also increase your luck by paying attention to the lava updates on our site or checking in with the USGS updates leading up to your trip. Hawaii National Park visitor tips can’t guarantee that you’ll see lava, but following the scientists who study and predict eruptions might help.
5. Stay after dark
Another often overlooked Hawaii National Park visitor tips is that the night sky on a clear night in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park should not be missed. Sunsets are spectacular. And the park is far enough away from civilization that it offers a sky full of stars. And if lava happens to present, the lava glow at night is a sight to behold.
6. Follow the park’s safety guidelines
Be advised that Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park presents unique safety hazards that you may be unfamiliar with. You may encounter unstable ground, sharp volcanic rocks, and hidden lava tubes that pose risks of injury. Lava rock is extremely slippery when wet and very sharp; wear closed-toe, non-slip shoes to prevent falls.
Volcanic activity can produce hazardous gases like sulfur dioxide, which may be harmful to people with respiratory conditions. Hazardous gases pose a risk to anyone with heart or respiratory issues, infants, children, and pregnant women. Please check the air quality alert before visiting.
Weather conditions can also change rapidly. In coastal areas, unpredictable waves and strong currents can be dangerous. Stay informed, follow the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park visitor tips and park regulations, and come prepared. Visit the NPS site for more Hawaii Volcanoes National Park visitor tips.
7. Leave No Trace
Help us protect our precious park while you’re here, and observe Leave No Trace principles whether you venture off the beaten path or not.
8. Consider booking a tour if you’re short on time
With all of these Hawaii Volcanoes National Park visitor tips in mind, booking a tour through a reputable company can make exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park much simpler. You may miss out on a few stops when you travel with a guided tour, but there is no better way to get local knowledge about locations and events. A small-group tour will also provide you with the best means of exploring the park without missing all the hidden gems along the way. And they’ll do all the driving and planning for you, so simply enjoy your day in the park. So maybe the best of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park visitor tips is to let someone else do the planning?
If you want to hike, sightsee, or do a flyover, there’s a local tour company that can meet your needs. If you’re staying in Kona, Hilo, or even traveling from Oahu for the day, there is a volcano tour that can help you see it all in one day.
Whether you decide to visit the park on your own or book a guided tour, we hope that these Hawaii Volcanoes National Park visitor tips