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VISIT “THE WORLD’S MOST ACTIVE VOLCANO”
FOR A SHOW LIKE NO OTHER

View Kilauea Volcano at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii’s Big Island

Where is there a better show than Mother Nature's own fireworks display? Kilauea Volcano, at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii's Big Island, has been erupting non-stop since January 3, 1983 and provides visitors with a view of one of the most spectacular natural wonders on earth. Viewed at dusk, you can see lava flowing straight from Kilauea into the sea, glowing bright red and sending up plumes of steam several hundred feet high. All this, and a clear Hawaiian sunset, is only a few miles from the end of Chain of Craters Road.

Kilauea, the youngest and most active of the Big Island's five volcanic mountains (only Mauna Loa and Kilauea are active at the present, although Mauna Loa hasn't erupted since 1984), stands at a mere 4,093 feet, relatively tiny compared to its nearest neighbors, Mauna Loa (13,677 ft.) and Mauna Kea (13,796 ft.). Kilauea is growing fast, however. Nearly 90% of the mountain's surface area is covered with lava less than 150 years old and it may someday grow to completely cover its giant neighbor, Mauna Loa. Called "the world's most active volcano" because of its long-running flow, Kilauea has also been touted Hawaii's "drive-in volcano," since a view of the flow is usually accessible by car, along with a short walk to a safe viewing destination.

An hour or two before sunset is the best time for seeing one of the Big Island's biggest natural attractions, as approaching darkness makes the red-hot lava flowing into the sea an even more dramatic sight to behold. The most recent outbreak takes place only a few miles from the end of Chain of Craters Road, where, since 1995, fast-moving flows have covered forever what was once a state highway. There's plenty of parking, a visitor's station (complete with a National Park Service ranger), and a safe viewing location with the full panorama of Kilauea's lava flow, meandering slowly to the sea. And it's here, in the calm wind, the ocean alongside you blue and deep, in front of a lavascape that stretches out as far as the eye can see, that the beauty and power of Hawaii's Big Island expresses itself in all its glory. Here, just past the plains of Kau, the southernmost point in the United States, visitors and locals alike make the pilgrimage each day to pay homage to ever-renewing earth, and to Pele, the volcano's fiery mistress.

Evidence of the volcano's two kinds of lava is all around you: a'a, fast moving and ferocious, and pahoehoe, hotter, more viscous, and slow moving. Each textures the landscape in a pattern so beautiful only nature could be its designer. One moment the lava shapes itself into long ropy swirls of human hair; the next it has pushed itself up twenty feet into the air, leaving caves and subterranean tubes in its wake. The only constant in this landscape is transformation, and it is this fact of nature that makes each visit to the Hawaii's Big Island's volcano a new experience. It's the molten lava itself, as hot as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, that truly takes the breath away, and in this, Kilauea does not disappoint. From the delicate spider's web of lava making its way down a four-thousand foot slope, to its breathtaking leap into the sea, watching the flow will amaze any viewer. There's just something about watching the earth create itself at Kilauea. Everyone is quiet. Here, only the island speaks.

And what a better way to welcome in the new millennium or bid a fond aloha to the day than with a picnic at dusk, watching Pele's magic? Pick up some crackers and cheese from quaint Volcano Village, a few local fruits, and some passion-fruit juice, and you've got a feast worthy of the occasion.

Finally, since safety is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's main concern, visitors to the flow site are required to bring a flashlight, plenty of water, boots or other sturdy closed-toe shoes, and sunscreen. Even at sunset Hawaii's legendary sun can be fierce. For those hiking beyond the recommended viewing area, a first aid kit and long pants and raingear are also necessities. A trip shouldn't even be considered without consulting the ranger for eruption and weather conditions.

For more information, contact:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (808) 985-6000

Or visit the website at: http://www.nps.gov/havo

Edited by Kerry Cohen

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