How to Spend the Perfect Day at Volcanoes National Park

Nestled on the diverse terrain of the Big Island of Hawaii, Volcanoes National Park is a geological marvel, offering a unique and immersive experience for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. With its active volcanoes, lush landscapes, and captivating history, spending a day exploring this natural wonderland is a journey like no other. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to make the most of your day at Volcanoes National Park.

Kickstart your day with an early visit to the Kīlauea Visitor Center, located near the park entrance. Here, you’ll find a wealth of information about the park’s volcanic activity, safety guidelines, and current conditions. The rangers and volunteers there can also help you if you aren’t sure exactly what you want to do or see, and they can share all the daily schedule of ranger-led activities with you, as well.  The museum also has exhibits that give a fairly comprehensive overview of the park’s environmental, historical, and cultural features.

Once you are fueled up with knowledge (and coffee if you need it), begin your exploration with a scenic drive along Crater Rim Drive, an 11-mile road offering breathtaking views of the Kīlauea Caldera plus so much more. Thankfully, visiting Volcanoes National Park by car is easy to do. While there are hikes and more active activities, Crater Rim Drive is a very accessible way to enjoy the beautiful scenery while not contending with the terrain, as well. 

Truly, if you have to choose just one thing to do while visiting Volcanoes National Park, this would be my recommendation. 

Also, the roads are two-wheel drive. Some attractions along this road may be closed due to weather conditions or volcanic activity, so always check with the visitor’s center before venturing further.

Helpful Tip: While exploring Crater Rim Drive, we’d get out for photos and the weather conditions definitely varied depending on where on the drive we were. If you plan to get out of your car like we did, it could be cold, windy, rainy. Bring hiking shoes, rain jackets/hats, and bottled water and snacks. 

One of our favorite parts of our visit was stopping for a picnic lunch at one of the designated areas, surrounded by the park’s natural beauty. We knew we had quite a bit of hiking ahead of us, so it was smart to stop and refuel before we went any further on our adventure at Volcanoes National Park.

Helpful Tip: If you don’t want to pack a lunch, you can grab a bite at  Volcano House, a historic restaurant offering panoramic views of the Kīlauea Caldera. 

Next, venture into the Thurston Lava Tube, a subterranean passage created by flowing lava. The dimly lit tunnel offers a surreal experience, allowing you to marvel at the geological artistry shaped by the island’s volcanic history. An approximately 20 minute walk across about ⅓ mile takes you from the main road, through some forest, into and through the lava tube, and back to the parking lot. 

Helpful Tip: During daytime, the lava tube is illuminated, but between 8pm and 8am, it is not lit so that people can experience a pitch black lava tube. You are required to bring your own gear, and it’s highly recommended that you use a headlamp and not just something like your cell phone flashlight. 

Hawaii has so many amazing hikes and we did quite a few, but if you only have time or physical capacity for one, the Kīlauea Iki trail is the one I’d recommend. This is a 4 mile round trip hike that’s medium difficult, but offers a maximum experience. This trail leads you through a lush forest down into the Kīlauea Iki crater, straight across the crater floor. You pass warm and steaming fissures on the ground as you explore what felt like Mars, honestly. The crater floor was formed in 1959, so the few shrugs you see are fairly new, as they start to grow through the cracks of the solidified lava.

Want to know more: On November 14, 1959, the Kīlauea Iki eruption began, filling the crater with 68 tons of lava, creating a lava lake several hundred feet deep. There was a fountain that ejected lava 1,900 feet (580 meters) into the sky! The eruption lasted for approximately five weeks, and the surface of the lake solidified into the crater you can now hike across. 

We spent so much time exploring this crater. While many hikers just hike across, or go back and forth once, we wanted to explore all the cracks and crevices we could. Kīlauea Iki Crater is this geological marvel that mirrors the mystique of Mars on Earth. Its vastfulness paired with its rusty red hues evoke the Red Planet’s rugged beauty. Steam vents hiss, resembling Martian geysers, and the solidified lava expanse, cracked and surreal, conjures visions of a distant, awe-inspiring extraterrestrial landscape.

If you have a little more time in your day, hop in your car and continue your journey with a visit to the Uēkahuna bluff, the highest point on the rim of Kaluapele, the caldera of Kīlauea. There is a convenient parking lot, as well, which makes this another accessible opportunity for enjoying the stunning views of Kaluapele, Mauna Loa and surrounding areas. 

Please note, this is an important site for Native Hawaiian ritual and cultural practice so follow the instructions of any posted signs and be respectful of the land.

While a day is enough time to experience Volcanoes National Park, this journey is worth as much time as you can afford it. From the fiery landscapes to the tranquil rainforests, each moment spent in this geological wonderland is a step closer to really understanding the beauty Hawaii has for offer. 

What do you think? Which activities do you want to experience during your next visit to Hawaii?