Mt. Kilauea

In March when we were in Hawaii on the Big Island we spent a day at the Volcanoes National Park.  I had never seen an active volcano before so it was quite interesting.  I never knew there were different types of volcanoes.  I always thought they all erupted from the top of the mountain.  Mt. Kilauea is a shield volcano meaning it erupts from the side of the mountain.

The park rangers don't allow tourists anywhere near the lava flow.  We learned that all new lava flow is the propery of the state of Hawaii.  The flow is extending the size of the Big Island.

JP warned us before we left that it's bad luck to bring a piece of the lava home, so we left it all there.










We hiked across the caldera of an area that erupted back in the 1950s.  It was like being on another planet.  It was about four miles across.




Sometimes it was cold and rainy and other times it was hot and muggy.  The caldera is surrounded by a rain forest.  Very bizarre landscape.

We were glad to find steaming holes to warm us up.









Volcanoes National Park is a must see if you're ever on the Big Island.




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