The Epic Road Trip Across The Big Island Will Show You The Best Of Hawaii Volcanoes
By Megan Shute|Published May 18, 2017
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
With Hawaii’s incredible volcanic history comes plenty of incredible lava formations, including lava trees, ancient lava tubes, and even volcanically-heated hot springs. And where better to experience these amazing volcanoes than on Hawaii Island with an epic road trip that takes you to nine of the islands coolest volcano-inspired spots?
The entire route measures in at two and a half hours of drive time and 82 miles, and while the trip could be completed in one day, we suggest splitting this road trip into two days. On the first day, check out all five attractions in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, stay overnight at the Volcano House or an equally charming place in Volcano or Hilo, and then hit up the last four volcano-focused attractions on day two. You can check out the Google Maps road trip we created here.
As the name indicates, this scenic road leads drivers to the coast, past several craters from historic eruptions. Since the road was opened in 1965, several parts of the road have been buried in lava due to volcanic eruptions. The Chain of Craters Road currently measures in at 18.8 miles, and while you can still drive a portion of the road, there is no food, water of fuel available along the path.
This 500-year-old lava cave within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a stunning geographic feature formed when a river of lava gradually forms walls and a ceiling. When the lava flow stops, the remaining lava flows downhill, and you are left with a tunnel. The 20-minute walk to Thurston Lava Tube is definitely easy, but the 500-foot cave-like tunnel is one of the most unique experiences you'll have in Hawaii.
This four-mile loop trail, which is the remains of a massive 1959 eruption, is wildly popular among Volcanoes National Park visitors. The trail – which takes hikers through lush rainforests, near active steam and sulfur vents, and across a solidified lava lake – was voted as the Big Island’s favorite scenic hiking trail by Hawaii Magazine.
The steam vents are located .8 miles past the visitor’s center, where groundwater seeps to the hot volcanic rocks in the area and returns to the surface as steam. Just a short walk away is the steaming bluff, a grassy meadow with ground cracks and steam concentrated in fractures along the edge of the caldera.
Within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is Kilauea Caldera, the fiery home of one of Hawaii’s most revered gods: Pele. Kilauea is both Hawaii’s youngest shield volcano on land, as well as the most active. The volcano is also experiencing one of the most long-lived eruptions known to man – the eruption began in 1983 on the eastern rift zone, and continues to this day.
A 17-acre park that features a forest of lava trees, the result of a lava flow in 1790 that swept through the forest, leaving behind lava molds of the tree trunks. The park is free to visit, and features a 0.7-mile loop path and picnic tables.
Ahalanui Hot Pond, found on Hawaii’s Big Island near Pahoa, and surrounded by green grass and palm trees, is the ultimate retreat. Though it is obvious that the cement walls that surround the pond are man-made, the pool itself is naturally geothermal, and its waters are heated volcanically to a balmy 90 degrees. Lava located beneath the park’s surface warms the fresh water that flows in from surrounding terrain.
This picturesque beach did not exist in its current state twenty years ago: the original Kaimu Beach was completely destroyed by lava flows in 1990. Because this mineral-rich beach is relatively new, and the larger Punalu’u is located just down the coast, this picturesque spot remains largely tourist-free.
There are very few places on this planet where you can watch flowing lava in person, and even fewer where you can walk right up to it. Kalapana, on Hawaii Island’s southern shore, is the safest and easiest to access. Not only might you see flowing lava, but you’ll be walking along the youngest land you’ve ever set foot on - which is pretty unbelievable, if you ask me.
