It'd been over several years since our last visit to Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island…read more The visitor center is closed. There's a temporary one near the military camp. We passed it and went on the rim center drive. We stopped first at the steam vents then headed to the rim. We parked the car, and headed on the gravel trail. New to us. Kept walking uphill. Then we recognized where we ended up. The Jagger Museum is gone. Found out later at the temporary visitor center that the 2018 eruption shook so hard the museum collapsed. It was built from wood. Now there's only an outline of where it once stood. The restrooms withstood the eruption as it's built from rock. We missed the current eruption by several hours on May 30 last Saturday. The ranger said it was imminent. We were in the park around 1pm. Kilauea erupted around 6:30pm lasting nine hours. No way we wanted to drive back 2 1/2 hours the next day from Waikoloa although it would have been bragging rights. The rim trail has improved. It's a longer trail than before. We didn't drive down to the sea this time.

What's not to love about visiting a national park? We came here to see if perchance we could catch…read morethe volcano erupting however we missed it by a day and only got to see the steam flowing out of the mountain and the steam vents. This is a huge park with lots to do. We went to the crater rim side to hike the trails out there and check out the lava tube. We also visited the visitor center to get more info about the park and other places to go. My family earned their hiking credits here and we spent about 3 hours here exploring before heading back to the hotel. We were on the top part of the island so it was a 2 hour drive, however I recommend leaving before dark as the roads get dark, there is no light and it's often zero visibility.

This lava tube experience was awesome. It was a short hike. Though the lava tube had lights inside,…read morethere were still some areas that were dark such that one could step into puddles of water if one is not careful. Got to see different plants and flowers around that are unique to the area. Definitely worth checking out if you have time while in the Volcanoes National Park.

Short hike down to the cool tube. Restrooms are clean. Trail is beautiful…read more Must do for the volcano trip. Recommend to do that first. Parking is small and cannot turn around. Recommend to park in Kilauea iki overlook, take a pleasant 0.5 miles hike to the lava tube then hike back.

Perfect hike for relaxing vacation. Mostly flat and only up & down to get to the walk on the crater…read moreitself. 3.3 miles around the rim (include walking across the crater). Lots of great views around the crater from all angles. And it was fun to be in the crater itself. You have to follow a path of stacked rocks else you won't find the place to exit the crater. It's a very doable hike for beginners; unless it's hot. Then it might be more challenging. There are several parking areas, but I didn't know that, so ended up parking on the edge of a closed street and 'finding' my own trail to get to the main trail. haha.

This awesome 4 mile looped hike takes you to the bottom of a crater and provides beautiful views…read morewhile it takes you through changing scenery and varying temperatures. You can start this hike in a counter-clockwise direction at Kilauea Iki overlook, number 4 on your map. You'll find more available parking here during peak times. You can start your hike clockwise from Nahuku, number 3 on your map, which is also the same location as the Thurston Lava Tube. Due to the popularity of the Lava Tube, parking here can be difficult. The distance between the two parking lots is .5 miles. We started our hike at Nahuku around noon in December. This moderate level trail started with a chilly walk through a forest of ferns down stairs and over roots with muddy spots throughout. Once you reach the bottom, you can walk across the crater and over lava rocks. The weather at this point was windy. Once we reached the end of the crater and climbed our way back up to the trail, we took a break and had some lunch overlooking the crater. From this point. It was a 2 mile hike up to the top. The weather changed once again, and my jacket was no longer needed. Make sure you bring or wear the following: -Layered clothing to adapt to the varying temps -Hiking shoes with good traction -Hat -Water -Snacks or lunch -Sunscreen Restrooms are available at both starting points, but the overlook location are porta potties. I suggest using the restrooms at the lava tube. We left the location around 2pm and it was pretty crowded. Best to arrive by noon to avoid crowds. -

I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS TRAIL! NEVER!…read more Bandit and I suppose to be on this trail to get back on our car. But things turned upside down coz it took us 8-hours to get back and we were both frickin' tired. In short, we're lost! That is why I will never ever forget this trail. Haha. Tbh, t'was a nice easy hike but we just continued hiking almost all the way to sulphur banks. Lotsa vegetation and wild flowers bloom along the trail. At some point you can see the fumes of the volcano and a wide array of dry land (volcano rocks mostly). Byron ledge will surely provide an excellent view of Pu'upua'i cinder cone and sporadic vistas of Kilauea caldera. Also, it connects to the Kilauea Iki loop as well as Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube). If you stay on the left at the intersection, it will lead you to Devastation Trail. Mahalo for reading and happy juandering fellow yeeps.

Ha'akulamanu known as "Sulphur Banks" is a tourist spot that's part inside the Volcano Park…read more Fascinating and mysterious - that's how I describe this day hike trail. How could you not love this spot? - it's an easy hike that young & adults can easily do - 1.2 miles (2km) round trip from Kilauea Visitor Center - wheelchair accessible from the steam vents parking lot - steam will warm you at some point when temperature gets drop On the other side, since sulphur is typically not good to inhale especially amongst kids, I suggest not to stay the place for a long time as once breathing in sulphur dust it can irritate the airways or cause coughing. In fact when we were here my eyes are so watery and I'm having cough all of a sudden. My facial skin becomes itchy that I keep scratching them and becomes irritated. Other than that, t'was a fun learning experience for me and I highly recommended anyone to visit the sulphur banks trail.

Hawaii's miniature version of Yellowstone National Park's Sulphur Springs…read more My wife is a retired industrial hygienist with a PhD in toxicology, and so is always interested in poisonous gases, many of which are emitted by Kilauea. She wanted to see this site, although I was lukewarm to the idea. Guess who wears the pants in the house? We park our car in the far end of the visitor's center and follow a paved asphalt path through the rainforest for 0.3 miles. Encounter a sign essentially saying volcanoes are hazardous to your health, and warn of the dangers of inhaling the sulfur fumes. Looks like they plagiarized the wording from the sides of cigarette packs. Small children advised not to come, due to the fumes, and potential for running off the boardwalk. One couple speaking in Cantonese brings their child in a folding baby carriage, oblivious to the warnings. Now they have a long boardwalk, with warnings not to stray off the trail, as one wrong step, and you could fall through the surface into 202 degree steam. I copied the following from a park display board: Escaping gases encrust the rocks with sulfur crystals varying in color from yellow to green yellow. Dissolved silica are carried by water vapor and deposit a white residue of opal on the rocks. Minerals in basalt are chemically heated to form red brown hematite and white gypsum. My wife's words exactly! Not too bad a smell, the sulfur fumes are no worse than the bathroom after my wife has an extended stay on the toilet. The boardwalk is far enough away that you can't touch the yellow and white crystals forming on the rocks and walls nearby. The boardwalk goes over several dried out areas, and eventually leaves the Sulfur Banks trail, and goes over a series of steam vents in grassland. Believe it or not, the sulfur springs were accessible by cars driven up the road right there . In 2005, the road was removed and the place reforested to its original beauty. Wish they could reforest the drought stricken grass in my back yard.

This trail is not for the faint of heart! We joked on the way back that we were devastated by…read moredevastation trail. Lots of beautiful areas to hike and we went down this one trying to get to Ike the hard way I guess. Gravel trail. We found the stairs to Ike and they were treacherous so we didn't go down. We took the easier oath by the lace tubes a few days later. But this one will definitely give you some different viewing points.

This trail is easy, it's a paved road to probably the best lookout we've seen at Volcanoes national…read morepark. It is also the busiest. Parking is scarce so it's best to come early. We got here and watched the sunset then waited for it to get dark. It does get cold so I would recommend bringing warm clothes if you will be here once the temperatures start cooling. When we went they had rangers rotating visitors because like I said earlier it gets really busy so if you stay for a while they will ask you to move around to the back so others can get a good view as well. Once you park, there are signs directing you to the actual trail. Using your GPS will have you walking in the opposite direction.

Trail along a path of lava from an eruption n 1959!…read more The view from the parking lot of the crater alone is worth the trip to the trailhead. The lava fountain was among the tallest in history reaching a height between the Empire State Building and Burj Dubai! That is incredible. To have been there in person would have been powerfully awesome. The trail takes you through trees and along lava fields. It can get chilly during depending on the weather and time of year you visit, so dress appropriately. One of my favorite places.

From the 1959 eruption of Kilauea Iki it creates an interesting landscape on its surrounding area…read more One of that is the devastation trail. Example of it is the lava features like spatter effects & Pele's tears and hair. Currently this short hike has a paved trail for about a half mile over cinders. Good thing is that this trail is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Tourist should stay on paved trail and is advice not to climb not to climb the Pu'upua'i cinder cone. When hiking under the basking heat of the sun, do not forget to pat sunscreen and bring water to keep you hydrated. Be prepared on windy weather condition as well. Trailhead: From the entrance of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park a few miles to the west of the town of volcano village. Pass through the entrance an drive straight ahead for less than 100 feet & turn left onto crater rim road. Follow crater rim drive until it intersects Chain of Craters Road. Turn right and park at the Devastation Trail parking area. Mahalo for reading & happy juandering fellow yeeps!

We had a great time on the Hawaii Forest & Trail Secret Waterfalls of Kona Excursion! Our guide,…read moreMark, was incredible--he kept everyone talking and he was genuinely interested in hearing everyone's travel stories. He was very knowledgeable and provided us with a wealth of fascinating information about the island. After a comfortable van ride, we hiked a beautiful trail that led us to a series of truly stunning, pristine waterfalls. We were treated to a delicious lunch from a local deli, and we loved that it was served in eco-friendly, completely reusable containers. On the way back, we made a perfect final stop at a local macadamia nut store. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, and we recommend it!

We went on an almost 100% full (flower) moon. It was special to see the terminator line on the…read moreCelestron telescope - it had such great definition! The color of Mauna Kea with the moon shining on it was so magical all around us. There were some clouds that cleared pretty well by the end of our star gazing. We were the last ones up there so it got dark enough to see more than you'd expect with the moon. Jeff, our awesome tour guide, used a laser pointer to help us see the constellations we usually can't back at home. The images on the digital telescope like nebulas, the moon & star clusters were an amazing addition to have as keepsakes. My husband and I felt he made the tour a great balance of learning and fun. He had the group feeling like family before we even left from the pickup lot. Things to consider: I do recommend following the moons cycles booking this tour/your trip if this is especially important for you to see as many stars as possible. The sunset and views of the observatory's make it awesome anyways :) I struggled with altitude sickness around 12,000 ft. Jeff had made sure to let us know beforehand if we experienced any issues to speak up. I was hesitant as I know it would mean turning the whole tour around, but some tingling turned to dizziness and then a brief fainting. He immediately stopped the bus and helped ground me and make sure I was completely okay & coherent before letting me know our options for the tour. We made it up to the top with 2 more (included in tour) stops and I felt better with each one having more time to acclimate :) Thank you Jeff!! You handled this so professionally and I appreciate your check-ins for the rest of the trip. It's cold even with parka and gloves. It's so worth packing warm shoes and layers. The bus had ac and heat so that was great! Do it if you can! Awe-inspiring! Such an unreal environment that makes you wonder about so many things. Just take the precautions seriously, move slow and breathe deep.

I am a top-level reviewer on TripAdvisor, and we travel the world A LOT; I review most things…read morereally highly! I was so excited for this tour for my family. BUMMER that I didn't get to do my usual high-star review... It seems to come down to spoken words not matching with contract. I frankly wonder if our awesome planning phone conversation was perhaps under "compromised" conditions, as I know I was clear & sober, and I believed what was said... And that is where our mis-communication occurred. The only reason we are coming to the big island is the Volcanic National Park. I am sad to report that my interaction with Hayley went poorly - we didn't get a chance to take the awesome tour, as although I made reservations many months ahead, she dumped us 6 weeks out. Given my many years in customer service, I was hoping she would at least help us with the crunch we were left in due to mis-communication and we could just continue on with the plan; I took responsibility for my part of the misunderstanding, she replied with "...it is in both of our best interest to cancel this reservation..." Actually, NO, it's NOT in both of our best interest, just her CYA, as apparently there's a crackdown on tour agencies offering taxi-like service, etc. We are now left 6 weeks out with plane reservations in and out of the big island, a motel reservation, with only the intent of coming to the big island to tour the Volcanic National Park, and now NO TOUR. We were going to pay her $850 for the day! Apparently she didn't like what I had to say regarding our mis-communication. I HATE to post bad reviews, I am assuming we are a "bad day/night" exception and she just didn't want to actually deal with it. Sounds like otherwise she rocks. Wish we could have been another 5-star review. But now I'm SCRAMBLING to get a tour to accommodate the flights and hotel we have already booked... It just wasn't that hard to make this right. I am happy to copy the back-and-forth emails to anyone who would like more details on what happened. Just know words over the phone mean nothing, only what's in writing or email matters. Not a problem for most if it's a simple agreement by email. TravelPhotoWriter... at.... g... mail... dot com UPDATE: I think ultimately it worked out GREAT that she cancelled us! We booked a replacement excursion with the company that rates higher than this one on T.A., very professional service & $100 less!!!

we had such an amazing tour, I was sorry to hear the previous experience, but we were able to fit…read morein on a tour that canceled last minute and had a tour beyond our expectations. Tyler was the best guide, relaxing and extremely informative. would do again next time we come. highly recommend