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Hiking Adventure: Where Lava Meets the Ocean

Our guests often ask: What is the best way to see the volcano and lava flows? The nature of the volcano is change. At any time, lava tubes can collapse or other vents can open – changing the course of a lava flow in an instant! Since the beginning of summer the volcano has been active and accessible, and right now it is a fantastic time to see it. There are three main ways to see this natural wonder:
  • By helicopter: it allows you to see the lava flow all the way from the crater to where it meets the ocean. Try “doors off” for an extra adventure.
  • By boat tour: Lava Ocean Tours takes people in large catamarans to where the lava is flowing into the ocean. This is our favorite way to get close and take amazing photos.
  • Hiking: This is what we did this week and the feature of this blog.

 

Lava flowing into the Ocean. Picture taken from boat tour.

How to get there

Insider tip: Commonly people hike up to the Park headquarters near the village of Volcano, but this is not ideal. Currently, the best place to see the lava is located down near the coast – about 45 minutes from Volcano by car. The hike is across an emergency access road (crushed lava). While it is 4 miles each way, the hike is not steep or difficult. If you rent bikes, you can reach the viewing area a bit faster.
Planning your trip: To get there, drive on the Highway 130 towards Kalapana. Continue to the end of the road where you will find parking for the county viewing area. This is where you will start the 4 mile hike or bike ride. Open daily from 3pm to 9pm, our recommended time of arrival is between 3pm and 4pm, so that you can get out to the flow by sunset.
If you are leaving the Sunny Kohala side of the Island, keep in mind that it takes 2 hours to drive over and it sometimes rains on the other side of the island.
What to bring: Make sure to bring water, snacks, and flashlights. We also recommend you dress in light clothing for the hike as it can get warm at sea level when walking across lava fields.

Volcano

Spectacular view of the Lava Flow from the Hiking trail.

Once you have arrived

It takes roughly 2 hours to hike out to the viewing area. As an alternative, you can rent a bike. There has been a boom in local entrepreneurs setting up bike rental tents in the area with dozens of bikes. There can be over a hundred bikes sharing the access road with hikers. Please keep in mind that the road is not paved and can be a bit soft in places, so extra care is needed.

A few recommendations:

On your way back, even if it is still light, it is highly recommended to wear a headlamp or bring a flashlight. There have been a number of accidents with unlit bikes and unlit hikers, as they do not see each other.
We also recommend a stop in Pahoa town before the hike or bike ride, as there are very few washroom facilities on the road.

A natural wonder

In August, the lava was flowing and oozing across the plateau (see our previous post on viewing the lava from a boat). Since then, the lava has formed an underground tube and is hidden until it pours into the ocean. The county and national park have roped off a safe zone where you can visit and see the lava from a distance. While it’s not as close as when we visited in the Summer, it is still spectacular.
We hope you have an amazing experience visiting Hawaii and seeing new land being created before your eyes.  Remember that while you hike out, much of the land you see may not have existed a few months ago!
If you want to know more about visiting the volcanoes, check out our Hawaii Volcanoes page.