HI Volcano National Park

July 09: I combined a few trails here for a 7 mile hike of an amazing combination of active rain forest and dormant volcano. In the end, I did this hike (starting at the Volcano House Hotel): http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hike_day_kilaueaiki.htm

and part of this hike: http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hike_day_craterrim.htm.

The Crater Rim trail was not crowded at all; the Kilaueaiki trail is a very popular trail, understandably, so don't go expecting to have a day of solitude. It's hardly crowded, but you do pass other walkers pretty regularly.

Before you hike: It's well worth visiting the (amazingly helpful) Visitor Center to get your bearings and a good map along with updates about the trails. (Areas close and open with varying lava activity, so you need to know where you can go on the day you visit the park). I found the drive to be about 2.5 hours from Kona on a small two lane rural road. People seem to keep to the speed limit here.

Make time on the way there or back to go to the Black Sands beach or some of the smaller surfing beaches. You don't have to stay long at these small stops, but they're a great way to break up the drive and why hurry back to the hotel?

Take strong shoes; the lava rock is incredibly sharp and angular. Falling on it is apparently like falling on shards of glass. I am happy to report that I know not if that is actually true, but I thought I'd pass it on.

Below: View from the top of the volcano rim. You can see the ripples of the lava when it was settling in from the last eruption. In a short while, I walked down there on the top crust of this dormant volcano. :)

Below: View looking down on the crater from the rain forested crater rim trail.

Below: On the crater trail, the lava trail is cool to touch but very exposed; it's about 2 miles across, and you pass very determined hardy little plants and steaming vents. It's a very strange experience walking across a dormant volcano. Let's just say I didn't dawdle too long.

Below: Steaming vents from elsewhere in the park; this steam shows how lively the volcano remains. On the coastal road from the park to the shore, you can see live lava, but you can only access that lava road from 5 onwards each day (as long as the lava is active). I had to leave before then, so I'll see earth being born next time. This park is a must-see if you're on the Big Island.