Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The Big Island of Hawaii and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is home to the world's most active volcano so it is no wonder that every year thousands of visitors come to visit this ecologically and historically amazing site. Kilauea has been erupting and active for over 27 years, or over 10,000 days, and is not only visually amazing to see, the eruptions and the volcano itself hold untold amounts of scientific information that has proven to be invaluable to vulcanologist and scientists.
Visitors from around the world come to view the wonders of the Kilauea Volcano, and whether they view it by air in a helicopter, by land on a hiking and sightseeing tour, or by sea on a lava viewing boat, the impact of seeing the raw power of nature as it sculpts, shapes and builds the land is something that is not soon forgotten. It is easy to see why the Kilauea Volcano and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been a popular destination for so many years.
Not only is the area scientifically and visually amazing, but there is just so much history and mythology steeped within the rocks themselves. Like the tales of Madam Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes, that are an integral part of Hawaiian culture. The myths and legends about how she created Kilauea paint a much different picture than the comparatively simple tale of molten lava and rocks. Her curse that she levies on anyone who removes a lava rock from the island has been widely documented and often told to those who visit the area.
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Visitor's Center also does a wonderful job of showing visitors how the Hawaiian Islands were formed, the migration of the first Polynesians, the first Westerners to arrive on the shores, all the way to the how the park itself became designated as an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site. With so much to see and so much information to absorb, this volcano is definitely a "must see"!