Hawaii Volcano National Park has attracted thousands of millions of visitors. The national park houses several active volcanoes. Because there are many volcanoes in the area, the air is often polluted with sulfur dioxide gas and sulfuric acid. Sometimes, the air will become so polluted that you have difficulties in breathing.
It can be easily accessed by car. Tourists who want to pay a brief visit to the park should go to the Kilauea volcano summit. To reach the Kilauea volcano summit, you should travel via the Crater Rim Drive. Crater Rim Drive is an 11-mile road located near to the Jaggar Museum and Chain of Craters Road. As you drive along the Crater Rim Drive, you will be able to explore the tropical plants, desert and etc. if you have more time to spare, you can visit the East Rift. While traveling on the Chain of Craters Road, you can discover the lava flow activity. Along the Chain of Craters Road, there is no shop so you can buy any petrol or food. If you like hiking, you can explore the park by following the trail.
There are several recreational activities you can do at the Hawaii Volcano National Park including biking, camping and hiking. If you want to travel around the park by bike, you should visit the Visitor Center to obtain the Bike the Volcanoes leaflet. Many visitors prefer to explore the park by bicycle. The traffic is heavies in the morning and afternoon. The safest time to cycle around the park is after 3 p.m. The roads are steep and winding so you should be careful when cycling around. When cycling, be sure to stay on the side. Before beginning the biking trip, it is advised that you prepare equipments such as bicycle helmet, cell phone, bicycle map, sun lotion, sunglasses and etc. It is important that you stay on the bicycle route to avoid the cracks. You need to obtain a permit before taking the bicycle trip. The permit is valid for at least 7 days. Commercial tour groups need to obtain a commercial use permit prior to gaining entrance to the park. Non-commercial groups should inform the park about the bicycle trip before entering.
Campers can pitch their tents in the campground at Hawaii Volcano National Park for free. There are two campgrounds including Namakanipaio campground and Kulonaokuaiki campground. If you choose to camp at Kulonaokuaiki campground, you should bring your own water supply. Some of the things you should bring during the camping trip include tent, torchlight, raincoat and etc. Rain is common at the park so you should always bring raincoat.
Hawaii Volcano National Park offers ranger led programs for visitors who want to learn about the park. You can find information about the ranger activities on the bulletin board located at Kilauea Visitor Center. The Kahuku Unit is offering a ranger led hike for tourists as well. Some of the hikes that are offered daily include Summit Walk and How it all Began.
