VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
We often get the question, should we visit the Volcano? Here is our honest answer. If the park is open and If you have never been to a volcano especially an active one it might be well worth the trip especially if there has been some recent activity. If there is no visual activity you may not be able to see the red lava glow or even smoke but you can still visit the Volcano’s national park and see the impressive volcanic history and incredible lava formations. If the Lava is flowing you may be able to see some of its glow and majesty. There are also some pretty amazing night hikes during this time. Be sure to bring a light jacket or a couple of extra layers of clothes because it can get windy and sometimes a little chilly.
If you are limited on time and only have a few days on the Big Island and there is no volcanic activity to speak of, you may want to visit the Volcano next time you come back to the Big Island. The trip over to see the Volcano from Kona is an all day event. If you go at night for one of the recommended Volcano National Park hikes it could take you well into the night and be an extra long day/night especially if you have little ones.
If you are interested in exploring the Volcano we would highly recommend that you contact the Volcano National Park itself for any current information about the park and the volcanic activity and or any closures or warnings. All the tours and advice we have taken from the Volcano National Park and the rangers have been good. Please do not wander off on your own or attempt to get to close to any flowing lava. Any warnings and safety precautions are there for a reason and your safety is not worth the selfie…:)
In order to help point you in the right direction I have listed some websites and pages below that we use to monitor the Volcanic activity and to get more information.