Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Location in Hawaii
Location	Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States
Nearest city	Hilo
Area	354,461 acres (1,434.45 km2)
Established	August 1, 1916; 109 years ago (1916-08-01)
Visitors	1,433,593 (in 2024)
Governing body	National Park Service

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is a special place in the United States. It's located on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. This park is home to two amazing active volcanoes: Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Kīlauea is one of the busiest volcanoes in the world! Mauna Loa is the largest shield volcano on Earth. A shield volcano looks like a warrior's shield lying on the ground.

Scientists love this park because it helps them understand how the Hawaiian Islands were formed. They also study how volcanoes work here. Visitors can see incredible volcanic landscapes. They might also spot rare plants and animals. The park also shares the rich Hawaiian culture connected to these lands.

The park first opened on August 1, 1916. It was called Hawaii National Park back then. Later, it was divided into this park and Haleakalā National Park. Because of its amazing natural features, it became an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980. It was also named a World Heritage Site in 1987. In 2012, the park was even featured on a special U.S. quarter coin.

In May 2018, parts of the park had to close. This was because of explosions and ash clouds from Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu crater. There were also earthquakes and damaged roads. But don't worry, many areas, including the visitor center, reopened on September 22, 2018.

Today, most of the park is open for visitors. However, some roads and trails are still closed. The Jaggar Museum and other buildings were too damaged in 2018. They were taken down in 2024. The big eruptions and ground collapses stopped in August 2018. Kīlauea then had a quiet period until December 20, 2020. Since then, the crater has erupted on and off with lava. But these eruptions have not been as big as the 2018 events.

Exploring the Park's Amazing Environment

Lava erupting from the [[Puʻu ʻŌʻō]] vent in June 1983

This huge park covers about 354,461 acres of land. That's a lot of space to explore! About half of the park is a special wilderness area. This means it's kept wild and natural for hiking and camping. This wilderness includes the top of Mauna Loa volcano, called Mokuaweoweo. It also has miles of coastline.

The park has many different environments. You can find everything from green tropical rain forests to dry, empty areas like the [[Kaʻū Desert]]. It stretches from the ocean all the way up to the top of Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa is the world's biggest active volcano, standing at 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) high!

Some places where lava has recently erupted include Kīlauea's main caldera. There's also a more active spot called [[Puʻu ʻŌʻō]], which is a bit harder to reach.

You can enter the park from the Hawaii Belt Road. The Chain of Craters Road takes you down to the coast. Along the way, you'll see many craters from past eruptions. Part of this road used to go to Kalapana. But lava flows covered that section. Now it's only used for emergencies. The park also has a Kahuku District, which you can reach from Highway 11.

Park Weather: What to Expect

A Look Back: The Park's History

Aerial view of Halemaʻumaʻu in September 2009

Long ago, Hawaiians believed that Kīlauea and its Halemaʻumaʻu crater were the sacred home of Pele. She is the goddess of volcanoes, fire, and lightning. People would visit the crater to offer gifts to Pele.

In 1790, a group of warriors, along with women and children, were caught in a huge volcanic eruption. Many people died. Their footprints were left in the hardened lava. You can still see them today!

The first Western visitors came in 1823. They were an English missionary named William Ellis and an American named Asa Thurston. Ellis described seeing the erupting volcano as "sublime and even appalling." He said they "stopped and trembled" and were amazed by the sight.

The Volcano Art Center was the Volcano House Hotel from 1877 to 1921.

By the 1840s, the volcano became a popular tourist spot. Businessmen like Benjamin Pitman and George Lycurgus built hotels near the crater rim. Today, Volcano House is the only hotel inside the park.

How the Park Was Created

Thurston lava tube in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

Lorrin A. Thurston, Asa Thurston's grandson, worked hard to create the park. He owned a newspaper and wrote articles supporting the idea. In 1907, the territory of Hawaii invited many important people to visit the volcanoes. They even had dinner cooked over lava steam vents!

After many efforts, a bill was signed by President Woodrow Wilson on August 1, 1916. This created Hawaii National Park. It was the eleventh national park in the U.S. and the first in a U.S. territory.

The park's main goal is to protect and study Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. It also aims to keep Hawaiian ecosystems safe. And it helps share the traditional Hawaiian culture connected to these lands.

A few weeks later, the National Park Service was created to manage all national parks. On September 22, 1961, the park was officially renamed Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. This happened after it was separated from Haleakalā National Park.

A cool lava tube in the park is named after the Thurston family. It's a tunnel formed by flowing lava.

The Art of Pele

D. Howard Hitchcock's 1929 painting of Pele

Arthur Johnsen's Pele

Around 1929, an artist named D. Howard Hitchcock painted Pele. This painting was displayed in the park's visitor center for many years. However, some people felt it didn't truly represent the Hawaiian goddess.

In 2003, the Volcano Art Center held a contest. They wanted a new painting of Pele that felt more Hawaiian. A panel of Native Hawaiian elders chose a painting by Arthur Johnsen. His painting shows Pele with Polynesian features. She holds a digging stick and an egg, which represents her sister [[Hiʻiaka]]. In 2005, Johnsen's painting replaced the older one.

Growing the Park: Kahuku District

Park map including the Kahuku District on left (click to enlarge)

In 2003, the park grew much larger! An extra 115,788 acres of land were added. This was the biggest land purchase in Hawaii's history. This new area is called the Kahuku District. It made the park 56% bigger! The land was bought for $21.9 million.

Recent Volcanic Activity

Sulfur dioxide emissions from the Halemaʻumaʻu vent, April 2008

On March 19, 2008, there was a small explosion at Halemaʻumaʻu. This was the first explosion there since 1924! Debris from the blast spread over 74 acres. Some ash even reached a nearby town. This explosion didn't release lava. Scientists think it was caused by gas or water.

After this, a lot more sulfur dioxide gas came out of Halemaʻumaʻu. This gas can be dangerous. So, some roads and trails near the crater were closed for safety.

In May 2018, the Kīlauea area of the park closed due to more explosive eruptions. But the Kahuku District stayed open. The Kīlauea area, including the visitor center, reopened on September 22, 2018. The eruptions and ground collapses stopped in early August 2018.

A small pond of water appeared in Halemaʻumaʻu in the summer of 2019. It grew into a small lake, about 160 feet (49 meters) deep by December 1, 2020. But an eruption on December 20, 2020, boiled away the lake. Lava then began to fill the crater.

As of today, most of the park is open. However, some roads and trails are still closed. The Jaggar Museum was damaged and remains closed. The Thurston Lava Tube (Nāhuku) reopened on February 21, 2020. Workers cleared rockfalls and added sensors to watch for new cracks. These cracks were caused by thousands of earthquakes during the Kīlauea eruption.

[[wide image|Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, August 2016.jpg|800px|alt=Panorama of lava and ocean|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of the lava at the end of the Chain of Craters Road]]

In 2022, the Mauna Loa volcano erupted after many years of being quiet.

Protecting Pohue Bay

The park grew again in 2022! The Trust for Public Land gave 16,451 acres of land, including Pohue Bay, to the National Park Service. Pohue Bay is very important. It has many old Hawaiian cultural sites. These include a large stone quarry, lava tubes, burial sites, and ancient trails. There are also fishing shrines, old village remains, and petroglyphs (rock carvings). A well-preserved part of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, an ancient coastal path, runs along the bay.

Pōhue Bay is also a critical home for endangered Hawaiian animals. These include the Hawaiian hawksbill turtle (honu‘ea) and the Hawaiian monk seal. Rare red shrimp called 'opae'ula live in the area's anchialine ponds. Many native and migratory birds visit the bay too. These include the 'iwa (great frigatebird), koaʻe kea (white tailed tropic bird), kōlea (Pacific golden plover), 'ulili (wandering tattler), and 'auku'u (black-crowned night heron).

Historic Places to Discover

Wilkes Campsite on Mauna Loa

Several important historic sites are found within the park. These places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii. They include:

• 1790 Footprints
• Ainahou Ranch
• Ainapo Trail
• Kīlauea Crater
• Puna-Kāʻu Historic District
• Volcano House
• Whitney Seismograph Vault No. 29 at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
• Wilkes Campsite

Visitor Centers and Museums

Night view of Halemaʻumaʻu from Jaggar Museum in 2015

The main visitor center is right at the park entrance. It has displays and information about all the cool things to see. The nearby Volcano Art Center is in the old 1877 Volcano House hotel. It shows historical exhibits and an art gallery.

The Thomas A. Jaggar Museum is now closed. It was damaged during the 2018 eruptions. This museum used to have more exhibits and a close view of Kīlauea's active vent, Halemaʻumaʻu. The museum was named after scientist Thomas Jaggar. He was the first director of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. This observatory is next to the museum. It's run by the U.S. Geological Survey and is not open to the public.

The Kilauea Military Camp offers places to stay for U.S. military members. Volunteer groups also help with events in the park.

Park Leaders: Superintendents

Here are some of the people who have led Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park:

• 1922–1922 — Albert O. Burkland
• 1922–1926 — Thomas Boles
• 1926–1926 — Albert O. Burkland
• 1927–1928 — Richard T. Evans
• 1928–1931 — Thomas J. Allen
• 1931–1933 — Ernest P. Leavitt
• 1933–1946 — Edward G. Wingate
• 1946–1946 — Gunnar O. Fagerlund
• 1946–1953 — Francis R. Oberhansley
• 1953–1959 — John B. Wosky
• 1959–1965 — Fred T. Johnston
• 1965–1967 — Glen T. Bean
• 1967–1970 — Daniel J. Tobin
• 1970–1971 — Gene J. Balaz
• 1971–1975 — G. Bryan Harry
• 1975–1978 — Robert D. Barbee
• 1979–1987 — David B. Ames
• 1987–1987 — James F. Martin
• 1987–1993 — Hugo H. Huntzinger
• 1993–2004 — James F. Martin
• 2004–2019 — Cynthia Orlando
• from 2019 — Rhonda Loh

More to Explore

• List of national parks of the United States
• Devastation Trail
• Holei Sea Arch
• Kilauea Iki
• Kamoamoa
• Olaa Forest in the Park

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional de los Volcanes de Hawái para niños