Explore these tips to avoid crowds in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Kilauea volcano this holiday season, however, to have a comprehensive and fulfilled experience, it is recommended to hit the park website before you hit the trail and avoid the crowded summit area between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The first stop for the most up to date information to avoid crowds in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for all visitors and tour operators should be the website www.nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes. They should make it to the website before coming to the park.
There are some recent updates on the website including the “Plan Your Adventure” landing page. This page gives tips to avoid crowds in Hawaii, what is a must to steer clear of and ways to stay safe.
Kilauea Visitor Center for information is the first stop for most visitors where they would watch the park movie or to join a ranger-guided hike but some changes are done so that the visitors have a good time during the holiday rush.
Hawaii Pacific Parks Association that operates the visitor center and the park store will open it an hour earlier, at 8 a.m., and close at 5 p.m. from Dec. 20 and through Jan. 6, 2022.
Few ranger programs will relocate to the coast and Chain of Craters Road destinations including Mauna Ulu. “Born of Fire, Born of the Sea” is the 20-minute park movie which will only be shown before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m. having six shows a day through Jan. 18, 2022. It will be replaced by a shorter orientation film.
A robust visitation is expected every winter season, but the destructive 2018 eruption caused but the closure of Jaggar Museum and Kilauea Overlook and all of this has dramatically reduced the number of parking stalls.
Therefore, the visitors need to pay heed to our advice, reach earlier, explore places that are less-visited and drive safely so that they can have a good time visiting the park without any problem.
Below are some top ranger tips to avoid crowds in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for a happy holiday visit.
Tips To Avoid Crowds in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park This Holiday Season
As soon as you reach the park, turn left at the entrance station and drive down the 19-mile Chain of Craters Road to arrive at the park’s spectacular coast that is covered in lava.
Pause along the way at crater pullouts, hike along with the Mauna Ulu fissure eruption, understand Hawaiian culture with our Polynesian cultural center tours and appreciate picturesque overlooks and the Holei Sea Arch.
Thurston Lava Tube
Keep your alarm or set your sights on a different trail if you have to visit Kilauea Iki. This 4-mile loop trail is recently reopened and is the most famous hike in the park. Parking at the trailhead is hectic after 9 a.m. You can park at Devastation Trail parking lot though. If you hit the trail by 7 a.m. you will be out by 10 a.m.
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Sunrise At The Summit.
Kilauea is still very much an active volcano and you will realize this more as you watch the sunrise over Kilauea caldera from Steaming Bluff. Our volcano tours in Hawaii allow you to have this mystical experience.
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Explore Mauna Loa Road.
Choose good weather and peak hours to explore Mauna Loa Road. Kipukapuaulu offers an easy, forested hike, and the scenery is beautiful along the way to the Mauna Loa Overlook at 6,662 feet.
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Visit Kahuku.
Besides being free, Kahuku is never crowded. It opens from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from Wednesday through Sunday. It is situated on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5 in Ka‘u.
Big Island Hawaii Volcano Eco-Adventure
Big Island Hawaii Volcano Eco-Adventure takes you to the youngest Hawaiian Island and lets you experience the beautiful landscapes and wonder of the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.
You can witness the world’s most active volcano, Mt. Kilauea, and spend the day at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The diverse scenery of the island of Hawaii, black sand beaches, Rainbow Falls, historic Banyan Drive and the natural formations of Hawaii volcanoes are all part of this exciting tour.
You can check out Hawaii’s other National Park here by visiting Haleakala National Park.