Visit Big Island: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

 

Even though Kilauea was not erupting at the time, we decided to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  The entrance fee per standard vehicle is $30, and is valid for 7 days (so if it erupts within the next 7 days, be sure to keep your entrance pass handy!).  

The Kilauea Visitor Center is closed, but there is a Welcome Center at the Kilauea Military Camp where you can buy souvenirs and listen to some of the park rangers speak about the volcano and the area. 

We went to the Kilauea Overlook and walked to the Uekahuna Overlook.

I was very fortunate to have witnessed an eruption before, but even in the absence of lava flows or fountains, it was very neat to be there still, seeing all the steam coming through.

 As we walked along one of the paths, we saw some ʻōhelo, which I talked to my kids about.  

The predictions for the eruptions seem to be quite accurate, as it was predicted to erupt between 2-7 days later, and it erupted 3 days later, so if you have the flexibility to plan around the predictions, that may be your best chance to view an eruption.  

Watch the live feeds, sign up for alerts, and hopefully some lucky timing is on your side to view an eruption.  But even if you don't witness one, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is still a meaningful place to visit.