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A Day at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

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How much time should you allot to tour the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park? You could stay a few short hours or even a few days, but my recommendation is to spend a full day in the park. The park’s web site has excellent planning information so be sure to review their links and trip planner. Essentially, there are two main tracks – the Crater Rim Drive tour and driving the Chain of Craters Road. Unfortunately, both routes have must-see attractions that you don’t want to skip. Get to the park as early as you can and even bring lunch along to enjoy at one of the sites. Better yet, stay at the Kilauea Military Camp inside the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to get a sunrise start.

Because of our travel plans, we split our park visit, but we still weren’t able to see everything we wanted. In one afternoon, we drove the entire 18.8 miles of the Chain of Craters Road, starting in the cold, lush rainforest of Kilauea then descending 3700 feet to arid, lava-covered plains reaching the Pacific Ocean. While there are ten identified stops on the Chain of Craters Road, we didn’t stop at most of them. In our limited time, we really wanted to see the Holei Sea Arch at the End of Chain of Craters Road and the petroglyphs. We did stop off at the Kealakomo Overlook, marked by the wooden platform that gives better scenic viewing. The overlook is about the halfway point to the end of Chain of Craters Road.

About this time, you start feeling the drastic change in weather. Gone is the chilly mountaintop weather with the car’s AC now doing the cooling. Finally, we reach the end with the awaited sights to take in. The Holei Sea Arch stands with the waves slowly eroding this natural wonder.

Further up the coastline, the continuous strike of the waves carves the next formation for future visitors.

The end of the road has a small snack bar along with a few restrooms which you should take advantage of before making the drive back. On the return trip, you can now do the hike to the Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs. Don’t rush on this short but rocky trail and look for the stone markers to keep your bearing.

After a longer-than-expected 0.7 miles, you’ll come to the raised platform protecting the largest petroglyph field in Hawaii where you’ll see ancient images carved in stone.

After exploring the Chain of Craters Road, it’s time for the shorter Crater Rim Drive with its nine designated stops. Although the Kilauea Visitor Center is a good place to start, it doesn’t open until 9am. The park is technically open 24 hours a day so if you’re early, bypass the Visitor Center to see and feel the steam vents and steaming bluff.

Seemingly at every hour of the day, the steam rises as moisture evaporates due to the natural underground heat.

Park your car and crisscross the trails in the area. Don’t worry, there isn’t much of a sulphur odor.

Once you’ve inhaled enough steam, continue on to Kilauea Iki Overlook and imagine that huge crater overflowing with molten lava.

At the overlook, there’s a half-mile hike through the rainforest if you want to experience another type of habitat.

Stop #6 is the Thurston Lava Tube. How Mr. Thurston found this lava tube trekking through the rainforest is beyond me.

Sadly, we missed three stops on the Crater Rim Drive Tour. We couldn’t squeeze in a visit to the Jaggar Museum during their hours of operation. We tried to hike the Devastation Trail but was rained out, and we just didn’t have time for the Keanakakoi Crater hike. But given a half day, I think we could have sufficiently seen the sights of Crater Rim Drive. So yeah, one full day at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the minimum amount of time I would plan for. If you want a more leisurely stay or want to explore all the stops, then you’d have to stay at least two days. Kids as well as adults will find different aspects of the park to enjoy, so it’s a great trip for the entire family.

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Lodging at the Kilauea Military Camp

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If given the opportunity, staying at the Kilauea Military Camp (KMC) while on the Big Island is sure to be a memorable experience. However, you need to be affiliated with the Department of Defense in order to book KMC cottages. I’ll be honest here. Don’t expect luxury at KMC. It’s clean, it’s functional, all the amenities are there, and it’s inexpensive. The cottages have been remodeled over the years, but if you’ve been to the cabins at Bellows then you’ve experienced a typical KMC cottage. Again, nothing wrong, just keep things in perspective.

There are a variety of cottage configurations, generally offered in 1 to 3 bedroom setups. However, the kinds of bed in each cottage could vary. A one bedroom cottage could have one bed in the single bedroom along with a sofa bed in the living room, or there could be two beds and a sofa bed. It all depends. When calling to make a reservation, just explain your desired arrangement and the workers will try their best to accommodate.

Each cottage is equipped with heaters in each room (including the bathroom), and there’s a fireplace in the living area (you do have to pay/buy the Duraflame logs). And there’s good reason for this heat. Located 4000 feet up in a rainforest, the weather is much different than downtown Hilo. You can expect 20-degree temperature swings from 80 degrees in Hilo then 60 degrees (and colder) on Kilauea.

On location, there’s a general store that covers all your basic needs, laundry facilities, an bowling alley, and an arcade. Although we didn’t eat at KMC, there are dining facilities and a bar. I didn’t check out the Fitness Center, but I made good use of the free Wifi in our cottage. Parking is typically available right outside.

KMC is actually located inside of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, making it super easy to experience the national park’s attractions. You do need to pay a park entry fee, but it’s good for a week. Being inside the park has great advantages of fully exploring all the attractions and getting an early head start before all the visitors arrive. More about park’s attractions in my next post.

There are some things to consider before reserving your stay at KMC. Your plans and itinerary while on the Big Island matter. KMC is somewhat remotely located, about a 45-minute drive from Hilo. Most likely, you won’t be commuting between KMC and Hilo in a single day. Once you head out for the day, you’ll probably stay out. When you come back at night, drive carefully. As you drive further up the volcano, there are less and less street lights. Somewhat windy roads, single lanes, and poor lighting are challenges. Then there’s the rain. Yes, Kilauea is a rainforest. Clear skies could change to downpours very quickly. So add the factor of rain and slick roads to the other conditions, and you’ll be faced with this.

Overall, lodging at KMC is well worth it. There are activities around the area that can last a day or two, and really, it’s just amazing to see how different the climate of Kilauea is.

A few more pictures of the Kilauea Military Camp.