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