Two of the world's most active volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, with crater-rim views, lava fields and a coastline built by eruptions
The park covers about 1,430 square kilometres, from sea level to the 4,169-metre summit of Mauna Loa. Most visitors focus on the summit of Kīlauea, around 1,200 metres up, where Crater Rim Drive leads to overlooks above the vast caldera and Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Since December 2020 Halemaʻumaʻu has erupted on and off, and since December 2024 there have been more than 50 separate episodes, some lasting only hours, with lava fountains and a strong glow visible from safe viewpoints on the rim when the volcano is active.
From the summit, Chain of Craters Road descends the slopes of Kīlauea to the sea, passing craters from historic eruptions before ending on a hot, windy coastal plain; its old continuation towards Kalapana now lies under lava. Around half the park is designated wilderness, and the separate Kahuku Unit, off Highway 11 to the south-west, is a place of active volcanism, Hawaiian traditions and ranching history. Nēnē, the endangered Hawaiian goose and state bird, are often seen grazing beside roads and car parks.
Native Hawaiians have lived on, worshipped on and studied these volcanoes for centuries. Kīlauea and Halemaʻumaʻu are regarded as the home of Pelehonuamea, the volcano deity, and Hawaiians visited the crater to bring offerings. In 1790 a party of warriors, with women and children who were in the area, was caught in an unusually violent eruption; many were killed, and footprints left by survivors can still be seen. The missionaries William Ellis and Asa Thurston reached Kīlauea in 1823, the volcano became a tourist attraction in the 1840s, when local businessmen began running a series of hotels on the rim, and Mark Twain visited in 1866.
The Hawaiian congressional delegate Prince Kūhiō introduced the bill that created Hawaii National Park on 1 August 1916, which was later split into this park and Haleakalā National Park on Maui. It became an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980 and a World Heritage Site in 1987. In 2018 a summit collapse and some 60,000 earthquakes closed much of the park for months; the Jaggar Museum and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory buildings were damaged beyond repair and demolished in 2024. The current cycle of summit eruptions began in December 2020.
The park lies in a rural area about 30 miles from Hilo, the nearest town with rideshare drivers, so most visitors come by rental car. Hawaiian culture runs through the park: eruptions are regarded as sacred, Pele is honoured as the creator of the volcanic landscape, and the park asks visitors to watch quietly and learn the cultural meaning of the land to Native Hawaiians. The park's history also includes the paniolo, the Hawaiian cowboys who managed livestock on ranches such as Kahuku, and the Volcano Art Center, which occupies the Volcano House hotel building of 1877
A typical visit starts at the Welcome Center, 1.2 miles beyond the entrance station, for current conditions, then follows Crater Rim Drive clockwise from Uēkahuna to the summit overlooks, Kīlauea Iki, Nāhuku and Devastation. Many visitors drive Chain of Craters Road to the coast in the afternoon and return to the rim after dark, when any eruption glows most brightly. Day hikes cross crater floors and lava fields, more than 123,000 acres of wilderness open up backcountry routes, and rangers lead walks and talks. Volcano House, on the crater rim, is the only hotel and restaurant inside the park.
The park is open all year, but its weather is unpredictable. At the summit of Kīlauea it can be rainy and chilly at any season, and temperatures are 12 to 15°F (7 to 8°C) cooler than at the coast, where the end of Chain of Craters Road is often hot, dry and windy. Volcanic activity is episodic, so the best time to see lava depends on what Kīlauea is doing: check the webcams and the USGS daily update before you go.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
The village of Volcano sits just outside the park entrance. Hilo, with its airport, lies 30 miles to the north-east, and Kailua-Kona on the dry west coast is about two to two and a half hours' drive away. The Kahuku Unit is off Highway 11 between mile markers 70 and 71, and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, covered by the same Tri-Park Pass, is on the Kona side of the island.
United States · 9 nights4★ HotelUnited States · 8 nights3★ LodgeThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
