Things to do nearKīlauea

Kīlauea has been erupting almost continuously for decades, making it one of the most studied and visited volcanoes in the world. Native Hawaiians regard it as the home of Pele, the goddess of fire, and the landscape carries deep spiritual meaning for the Hawaiian people.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park surrounds Kīlauea and offers more than 150 miles of hiking trails. The Kīlauea Iki Trail takes you across a cooled lava lake, while the Devastation Trail crosses a cinder field left by a 1959 eruption. The Thurston Lava Tube, a naturally formed tunnel of hardened lava, is a short walk through dense fern forest.

The park's Volcano Village nearby has small restaurants and lodges where visitors can rest between explorations. Rangers lead guided walks and evening programs that explain the geology and cultural history of the region in accessible terms.

Kīlauea rewards curiosity and patience. Its ever-changing surface, where new land is still being formed, makes it unlike any other destination in the United States and well worth the journey to the Big Island.