Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has two active volcanoes, making it an amazing natural site for travelers to visit.
The two active volcanoes include Mauna Loa, the largest mountain in the world, which last erupted in 1987, and Kilauea, which has offered "pretty much non-stop action in modern history," Jessica Ferracane, a park spokeswoman, said.
Scott and Alydia Kardel, traveling to Hawaii from Tucson, went to see the erupting Kilauea volcano. Scott Kardel told USA Today about the colors, the oranges and reds that made up the seeping lava pouring through the cracks in the volcano. The lava ran down the volcano, solidifying as it hit the ocean water.
"It was one of the most amazing feats of nature that I have ever seen," Scott Kardel said.
The Halemaumau crater has an overlook platform at the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum, about a half-mile away, from which visitors can see the crater. It requires a long and somewhat difficult hike to reach the overlook, as well as winter gear.
However, once visitors reach it, lava from the Puu Oo vent on a coastal plain in the volcano's east rift zone is visible.
There isn't any way to know how long the volcanic eruptions will last, though Puu Oo has been erupting since 1983 and Halemaumau has been erupting since 2008, Ferracane said.
The volcanoes provide a habitat for a large variety of plants and wildlife, among them some species that are only found on the Hawaiian Islands or in the park itself, including six species of endangered native birds. Among the endangered birds are the nene, or Hawaiian goose and the io, or Hawaiian hawk. The park coastline also provides a habitat for the hawksbill sea turtle, another endangered species.
Above the coastline area, petroglyphs carved into lava rock are visible from a boardwalk.
There are over 150 miles of trails that range in difficulty from easy to those that traverse wilderness areas and are more difficult. Bikers can ride along the park's roads and several trails.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was established in 1916.
Video footage of Kilauea erupting.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
