Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National ParkTwo of the world's most active volcanoes, 323,431 acres on the Big Island, and lava you can sometimes see glowing from the road

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park sits on the windward flank of the Big Island, 30 miles southwest of Hilo. The park contains Kīlauea (4,091 feet) — one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, with a near-continuous eruption from 1983 through 2018 — and Mauna Loa (13,681 feet), the world's largest volcano by mass, last erupted November 2022. The summit caldera of Kīlauea, with the Halemaʻumaʻu vent at its center, is by Hawaiian tradition the dwelling place of the volcano goddess Pele; visitors regularly leave offerings at the overlooks.

The 11-mile Crater Rim Drive loops the summit caldera with five marquee stops: Kīlauea Visitor Center (museum, ranger talks, eruption updates), Steam Vents (boardwalk over a fumarole field), Kīlauea Overlook (the closest view of Halemaʻumaʻu — glow visible after dark when active), Devastation Trail (a half-mile boardwalk through a 1959 cinder fall), and Thurston Lava Tube — a 500-year-old tube long enough to walk through, reopened with timed reservations after 2018 closures. Below the summit, Chain of Craters Road descends 3,700 feet through 18.8 miles of pit craters to the Hōlei Sea Arch where the original road was buried under lava in 2003.

Plan two days minimum. The summit district is at 4,000 feet so dress in layers; the rim averages 100+ inches of rain a year and temperatures 30°F cooler than the Kona coast. Eruption viewing is best after dark — the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake glow is visible from Kīlauea Overlook when active. Bring a flashlight, a refillable water bottle (many trails have no water), and a windbreaker for night viewing. Volcano House and Kīlauea Military Camp are the only lodging inside the park; Volcano village outside the gate has additional B&Bs and cabins.