Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Big Island of Hawaii: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park covers 134,000 hectares on the southeastern slope of the Big Island, encompassing two active volcanoes—Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, with its summit caldera and the Halemaʻumaʻu crater producing periodic lava lake activity visible from the Jaggar Museum overlook. The 17-kilometer Crater Rim Drive circles the summit caldera, passing steam vents and sulfur banks. The Chain of Craters Road descends 1,100 meters over 30 kilometers to the coast, ending at a lava field where the road was buried by flows. is just one of many options in Big Island of Hawaii. Major attractions worth considering include Mauna Kea Summit and Observatory, Waipio Valley, and Akaka Falls.