| Hawaii volcanoes are known as "shield" volcanoes, | | | | referred to as the "drive-in" volcano since it can be |
| gently sloping mountains produced from a lot of very | | | | easily viewed by car. Even if you don't experience |
| wet, fast-moving lava flows. Each Hawaiian island is | | | | lava flows when you visit, there is much to see. Lava |
| made up of at least one primary volcano. | | | | craters, giant chasms, vents spewing steam, lava |
| When you move along the island chain from the | | | | tubes (or caves) and Hawaiian petroglyphs can all be |
| south, where volcanoes are active, to the northwest | | | | experienced here. The Visitor's Center at the Kilauea |
| part of the chain, the volcanoes become older--and | | | | Caldera is located at 4,000 feet. Here you can find |
| less active. The active volcanoes erupt a type of | | | | books, videos and other information about the park. |
| rock known as basalt. When in a "molten" state, | | | | Crater Rim Drive, which circles the volcano, has many |
| basalt produces the fluid lava that you see running | | | | interesting viewpoints and jumping off points for |
| down mountains and valleys. | | | | short hikes. Also within the park is the Jagger |
| The Big Island of Hawaii is home to five major | | | | Museum and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Be |
| volcanoes: Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Hualalaiand | | | | sure to bing your camera, water, food and extra |
| Kohala. Mauna Loa is considered the largest active | | | | clothes, especially if you are staying in the area after |
| volcano on earth, even though it has not erupted | | | | sunset. |
| since 1984. But Kilauea, home of the Hawaii | | | | One can easily spend a day or two exploring Kilauea, |
| Vocanoes National Park, is the most active volcano in | | | | so give yourself enough time to really experience the |
| terms of how much lava it erupts each year, and the | | | | rare phenomenon of a live volcano. |
| place most visitors come to see volcanic action. | | | | In addition to Kilauea volcano, two other volcanic |
| Ancient Hawaiians believed that Kilauea was the | | | | mountains on the Big Island, Mauna Loa and Mauna |
| physical manifestation of the fury of the mountain | | | | Kea are prominent. They stand more than 13,500 |
| goddess, Pele. Kilauea has added 550 acres of coastal | | | | feet high and have frequent snowstorms during the |
| land since eruptions began in 1983. (To visualize how | | | | winter. Mauna Kea even has year-round snow fields |
| large this is, imagine that this is enough to fill more | | | | near its pinnacle. Imagine being able to ski in Hawaii! |
| than 200 million dump trucks!). Hot rivers of molten | | | | If your time on the Big Island is short and you would |
| orange lava, flowing downhill can be seen most any | | | | like to take a look at Kilauea volcano, consider a |
| evening of the year. | | | | helicopter tour. Since you can't really "see" the |
| Hawaii Vocanoes National Park, two hour's drive from | | | | mountain from anywhere else on the island, a |
| Kona and five hours from Kohala on the Big Island, | | | | helicopter tour is a good way to view the volcanic |
| can be the highlight of any vacation. Open year | | | | activity. Helicopter tour operators can be found in Hilo |
| round, one can explore the many aspects of Kilauea | | | | and the Kohala resort areas. |
| volcano. Much of the best hiking on the Big Island is | | | | When planning your Hawaii adventure, be sure include |
| found within this park. And a visit to the park will give | | | | some time at the amazing Kilauea Volcano, for an |
| you an up-close view of a volcano. | | | | "other worldly" view of life on our planet. |
| The Park, open 24 hours a day, is sometimes | | | | |