Planning a trip to Volcano National Parks? Well whether you are or not, perhaps a little bit of review could help influence your decision or better yet be the swing vote pushing you to go.

     Upon entry into the National Park heading on the right side, you’ll come across the Steam Vents which is always a family favorite. We always used to start and end the adventure  there when we were kids and it was totally worth it. The steam is created by deep underground water dripping down to volcanic magma deep below the surface; the magma vaporizes the water returning it to the surface in the form of steam. There’s a nice long walking trail connecting the steam vents with the crater overlook, and a few steam vents dotting the trail and near the parking lot. As a kid we used to stand in front of the steam to warm up from the cold air, and throw some coins or rocks down to see how deep it went. The steam is warm to the skin and heats up your clothes and hands, however the moment you step out of the way… It’s right back to freezing and it leaves your clothes wet. It’s a really satisfying and mind boggling experience for the kids or anyone that hasn’t experienced that before. 

     Right across the street there’s a hidden trail leading towards some towering cliffs and mounds, this path leads into the Sulfur Banks. Something to be aware of before heading down the trail, is the smell. Sulfur in its most natural form smells a whole lot like rotten eggs and wet rocks. The trail leads down a winding boardwalk with sulfur banks on one side and old geographic experiments on the other. If you look closely into the crevices throughout the sulfur bank, you’ll see small crystals of sulfur forming in between the rocks in a bright array of colors. There’s also a lot of beautiful flowers and a long corridor shaped by nearby trees and bushes creating a flush hallway of plants sheltering from the sunlight. 

     Since I’m only sticking to places to see on the right side from the entrance; the last place I have to mention is the Kilauea summit caldera overlook at the end of the road, just past the steam vents. This spot overlooks the gigantic crater and has a few miles of open and unblocked air breezing through. You can actually take a hike through the caldera and walk along miles of dried up magma and get a little closer to the direct center of the summit. While up in the overlook, the people taking the trail down below look like ants all the way down there, which really shows just how far down it is. When I was younger, the Jaggar Museum was right next to the Kilauea Summit Caldera Overlook. The museum was full of seismic tools and graphs and a little gift shop full of sweaters and “Volcano National Park” mugs and hats. It was one of my favorite places to go, because at night you could see the lava flow glowing in the caldera below and it was always so beautiful… and really cold too. Unfortunately with the 2018 Volcanic Eruption, the summit collapsed and became what it is today and the Jaggar Museum is closed indefinitely. Aside from that though, the rest of the park has so much to see and do, and I highly recommend going to visit sometime. 

     With all the sights to see and adventures to be had in Volcano National Park, I wouldn’t want to spoil it all for anyone. So by all means read this blog and read any others that have anything to do with Volcano National Park, and go plan your trip right away! I had a great time with my trip a few weeks ago, and I hope this post helps everyone get some better thoughts to help plan your next adventure today. 

Aloha everyone, 

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