Kilauea and Mauna Loa are two of the world's most active volcanoes and are still adding to the island of Hawaii (The official name of the Big Island). Kilauea has been continuously erupting since 1983 and you can even get close enough to watch the lava flowing down the mountainside and also into the sea!! A remarkable site!
We hired bicycles and cycled the trail to the lava viewing point. You can also hike it but it's a super easy cycle. It's 4mile/7km track so to walk would be a bit taxing. Anyway once you get there set up on the rocks and stay for as long as you like! It was very mesmerising and before I knew it an hour had passed. Before you plan your trip you can check if the lava is flowing here https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava2.htm
There was a pretty massive (5.1 Magnitude) earthquake early in the morning of the day we were going to do it so we were hoping lava might've been spurting like crazy but no. Apparently the Island is continuously shaking from Earthquakes..
Some people hiked towards the mountainside to get up close with the lava but a local mentioned it was about a 6hr return trip. You can only walk across the lava fields too and in the dark it would be a nightmare on the ankles/knees! Maybe next time.
Unlike most explosive volcanoes Kilauea is more fluid and less gaseous producing rivers of lava as opposed to big, devastating explosions. The lava fields and whole landscape is incredible! Layers on layers of lava rock of all shapes and sizes. Below is the Halema'uma'u Crater, which also glows at night. If you're interested you can check out the webcams from the volcanoes national park here https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm
Unfortunately drones aren't allowed in the Volcanoes National Park :'( but still pretty happy with the images we got! A helicopter tour would be a pretty special experience and there are also boat tours. I found the textures of the lava so transfixing. Another cool thing, while snorkelling around the Big Island you can see the Lava that is now underwater- still all really cool patterns.
The temperature in the national park is quite cooler than at sea level making it perfect for hiking! There are plenty of hikes to choose from- we did the Kilauea Iki crater lava lake hike and then walked through the Thurston Lava Tube!
If you are chasing more information about the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park head over to https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm and have a read. Also definitely add the Volcanoes to your Hawaiian Holiday!!
Hope you enjoyed this post! If you missed my previous post from the summit of the worlds tallest mountain check it out here- https://steemit.com/photography/@sunsurfsoul/epic-sunset-from-above-the-clouds-atop-the-worlds-tallest-mountain
Looking for more adventures or travel ideas? Head over to our travel blog www.sunsurfsoul.com 💜