Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GO TO THE FLOW
Lucky travelers can view
live lava
making the 64-mile journey from the Puʻu ʻOʻo
vent to the ocean. Where the lava will be flowing when you arrive and the effort re-
quired to reach it are impossible to predict, but at the time of writing, the lava was
visible from the base of the Pulama Pali to the shoreline (over a mile). The eastern
edge was about three miles from Kalapana Gardens in Puna. Sometimes it's pos-
sible to hike to flowing lava from the park side, at the end of Chain of Craters Rd.
Usually this involves covering one to several miles of wracked lava landscape. In-
quire at the Visitors Center.
While it is outside park boundaries, a
lava flow viewing area
(
4-10pm, last car in
8pm)
is maintained by the county at the end of Hwy 130. Visitors park and walk less
than a mile on a narrow paved strip and are corralled into a small area to behold
the sights. If the show is really on, there will be surface flows, lava 'skylights' and a
giant smoke plume where the lava enters the ocean. Otherwise, you'll be a mile or
more from the sea entry and see little more than a red glow and lots of smoke. For
current information call the Civil Defense
hotline
(
961-8093)
or visit
Hawaiian
For best viewing, visit at sunset when the coast is bathed in a crepuscular glow
and the lava brightens in the growing darkness. You can get closer by joining a lava
tp://www.kalapanaculturaltours.com
;
12-5038 Kalapana-Kapoho Rd; $100)
. The best option is to
walk out at the end of the day, view the flow by night, and hike back by flashlight.
But it takes some doing: about three hours of walking, round trip. Another option is
jumping on a lava boat tour, of which Lava Ocean Adventures (
Click here
)
gets high
marks. If it's rough seas, and you lack an iron stomach, avoid inflatables. However
you do it, come prepared with rain gear, wear sturdy shoes, pants and a hat, and
bring water and one flashlight per person.
Note that lava entering the sea can be dangerous. The explosive clash between
water and molten 2100°F rock can spray scalding water hundreds of feet into the
air, fill the air with silicate particles, and throw flaming lava chunks well inland. New
ledges or benches of lava that form over time can also collapse without warning.
Several observers have been killed over the past decade. Always stay at least
500yd inland.
Sights
This vast and varied park can fill as many days as you give it, particularly if you enjoy
hiking. If not, you can also drive it all in one long downhill journey, from Jaggar Mu-
seum to the suitably named End of the Road, with only one detour (Hilina Pali Rd).
