Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

vacationing at the volcano

This is well worth the visit they also have the volcano house or you can stay and you can see the glow of the volcano at night

Big Island of Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano

Kilauea Volcano has been called a friendly volcano because of the manner of its eruptions, which are mild rather than explosive. Your biggest risk in a visit is probably air quality, which can be checked in advance on the park website. Kilauea is a shield volcano, which means that it has gentle-sloping sides, so it may not look the way you expect. This is in contrast to the more familiar cone volcano such as Mount St. Helens. I recommend that you begin your visit at the Kilauea Visitor Center to see the informative displays and a movie about volcanoes. Then you can continue your drive and actually see the caldera, which has a black asphalt look to it. You can do a quick drive through the park in a couple of hours, or follow some of the interesting hiking trails if you have the time. The park is open 24 hours a day, and you are more likely to see the glowing lava if you can stay after sunset. Volcano House, a hotel on the park grounds, has a restaurant with interesting views. The park entrance fee is $10 per vehicle.