Around the Big Island on Two Tanks of Gas – Day 2: Volcanoes National Park

My wishlist.

After a somewhat noisy night in Hilo, I set out in the morning to Volcanoes National Park. An enjoyable winding drive through some small highways (as most of the island is connected by) took me to a larger highway, then to the parking lot of the Visitor's Centre. I presented my wishlist to the park ranger and planned my route. First stop, setting up camp in Namakanipaio Campground. As of October 1^st, they started charging for this campground, but still a great deal for camping just under 1km away from the glowing Halema`umau Crater. Pretty amazing.

Steam vent.

The first drive I did was the Crater Rim Drive. Unfortunately it’s really short now as the VOG (volcanic smog) has closed most of the drive. I made stops at the Steam Vents, Sulphur Bank, as well as the lookout at the Jaggar Museum. The last point is the closest you can get to Halema`umau at the moment.  After that, I was caught in some rain so I ate my first poke of the trip in the car, then went towards Chain of Craters road to do the Kilauea Iki hike.

This hike was one of my favourite parts of the park. For a gal who really likes rocks (I minored in Geology in Uni), this experience was just unreal! There is nothing like it that I have experienced before. Descending through lush rainforest, I got to the main part of the hike where I got to walk across the crater floor on the solidified lava lake of Kilauea Iki. There are still steam vents releasing heat from the rocks deep down below. I personally felt so connected to Mother Earth while I was in the crater and gained a whole new level of respect for the power she holds.

I'm at the edge of a crater! I couldn't get over how cool that was.

Quite literally, the end of the road.

So after that empowering experience, what else could top it? Well, the views and landscapes of driving Chain of Craters road. From seeing the most amazing rainbow ever, to the views of turquoise blue ocean waters juxtaposed against the greenish volcano slopes interrupted by old lava flows, my breath was taken away. I drove all the way down to the ocean waters, did some more walking and hiking where fairly recent lava flows cut off the road and also to a site where there were remnants of ancient petroglyphs carved into rock.

As the sunset, I drove back up the winding road and went straight back to Halema`umau Crater where once again, I connected with Mother Nature as I watched the glow of molten lava light up the current vent. If it weren’t so “cold” (it was maybe 15-ish degrees; I’m such a wuss now) I would have just sat there watching the glow. Instead, I drove back to the campsite, slowly cooked some canned soup over a gel flame thing while it started to rain and get a little breezy. Nothing could take away the fact I was camping on a volcano though! 

Most amazing rainbow I have ever seen in my life. This photo does not do it justice!