We always stay in Kona so always felt that this was too far. It really is a must place to visit. Absolutely beautiful.
We went knowing that last year parts of the park we're effected by the lava flow but you can only access about half of the park. They still charge you full price to enter though & don't tell you that you can't get to most of the park anymore. It was still a fun experience to see the steam vents & the volanco.
We visited Volcanoes during the government shutdown at the end of 2018, and even though most of the park was closed, we enjoyed our visit. The Visitor Center was open, and the rangers were super helpful and friendly, even though they were mostly giving people bad news about what little was open.
The center had some informative displays and videos, and a nice gift shop, typical of National Parks. After we got our passport stamps, we drove a short distance to one of the rim overlooks, where we looked through the mist in the rain at the distant crater floor, shrouded in clouds. The steam vents along the rim walk were a reminder of the volcanic activity under us.
Even though we didn't get to see much during our visit, we are still rating this NP five stars. We were impressed by the dedication of the employees and the sights of the areas where we could visit.
Upon entering the park, we made our way first to the Visitor’s Center. (Entrance Fee was $25). The visitor center has tons of information and the staff are eager to help you plan a route through the park and to share their favorite highlights. There are two main roads that you can drive along and stop at any of the interest points. The Crater Rim Drive tour takes you in a tight loop around the main caldera. This road was partially closed due to dangerous gases. We stopped first at the steam vents which were neat and then continued on to the Kilauea Iki Overlook. From the overlook you can continue down to Devastation Trail (Roughly 2 miles, 430 feet of elevation change but shaded). Devastation Trail takes you out on to a cooled lava lake which is pretty incredible. From there we left the Crater Rim Drive and turned on to the Chain of Craters Road. This has many great stops along different craters and finally ends with the Holei Sea Arch. We did the whole tour and hike in about 3 hours.
This is an excellent park for kids and adults. It is really interesting and pretty. You are surrounded by a rainforest.
