Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
But neither Mother Nature nor Madame Pele (the volcano goddess) runs on
a schedule. The volcano could be shooting fountains of lava hundreds of feet
into the air on the day you arrive, or it could be completely quiet—there are no
guarantees with nature. On many days, the lava flows right by accessible roads,
and you can get as close as the heat will allow; sometimes, however, the flow is
miles away from the nearest access point, visible only in the distance or in under-
ground tubes where you can't see it. Always ask the park rangers before you set
out on any lava-viewing expeditions.
VOLCANO VOCABULARY
The volcano has its own unique, poetic vocab-
ulary that describes in Hawaiian what cannot be said so well in English. The lava
that looks like swirls of chocolate cake frosting is called
pahoehoe
(pa-
hoy
-hoy);
it results from a fast-moving flow that curls artistically as it flows. The big,
blocky, jumbled lava that looks like a chopped-up parking lot is called
aa
(ah-
ah); it's caused by lava that moves slowly, pulling apart as it overruns itself.
Newer words include
vog,
which is volcanic smog made of volcanic gases and
smoke from forests set on fire by aa and pahoehoe.
Laze
results when sulfuric
acid hits the water and vaporizes and mixes with chlorine to become, as any
chemistry student knows, hydrochloric acid. Both vog and laze sting your eyes
and can cause respiratory illness; don't expose yourself to either for too long.
Pregnant women and anyone with heart or breathing trouble should avoid both
vog and laze.
JUST THE FACTS
WHEN TO GO
The best time to go is when Kilauea is really pumping. If
you're lucky, you'll be in the park when the volcano is active and there's a foun-
tain of lava; mostly, the lava runs like a red river downslope into the sea. If you're
on another island and hear a TV news bulletin that the volcano is acting up,
catch the next flight to Hilo to see the spectacle. You won't be sorry—and your
favorite beach will still be there when you get back.
ACCESS POINTS
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is 29 miles from Hilo, on
Hawaii Belt Road (Hwy. 11). If you're staying in Kailua-Kona, it's 100 miles, or
about a 2
1
⁄
2
-hour drive, to the park. Admission is $10 per vehicle; you can come
and go as often as you want for 7 days. Hikers and bicyclists pay $5; bikes are
allowed only on roads and paved trails.
VISITOR CENTERS & INFORMATION
Contact
Hawaii Volcanoes
National Park,
P.O. Box 52, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718 (
&
808/
985-6000;
www.nps.gov/havo).
Kilauea Visitor Center
is at the entrance to the
park, just off Highway 11; it's open daily from 7:45am to 5pm.
ERUPTION UPDATES
Everything you wanted to know about Hawaii's vol-
canoes, from what's going on with the current eruptions to where the next erup-
tion is likely to be, is now available on the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's new
website, at
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov
. The site is divided into areas on Kilauea (the
currently erupting volcano), Mauna Loa (which last erupted in 1984), and
Hawaii's other volcanoes (including Lo'ihi, the submerged volcano off the coast
of the Big Island). Each section provides photos, maps, eruption summaries, and
historical information.
You can also get the latest on volcanic activity in the park by calling the park's
24-hour hot line
(
&
808/985-6000
). Updates on volcanic activity are also
posted daily on the bulletin board at the visitor center.
