Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

An impressive noctural light display at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, may be responsible for a recent small but noticeable uptick in travel to the Big Island and the park this month. With Hawaii’s national park visitation way down, even a minor boost in visitation is very welcome.

With fuel prices up, airfares up, and incomes stagnant if not down, is it any surprise that visitation to national parks on the Hawaiian Islands is down quite a bit this year?

If you subconsciously want to become a search-and-rescue statistic in the National Park System, your best chance would be in either Grand Canyon National Park, Gateway National Recreation Area, or Yosemite National Park.

The five U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Observatories are receiving $15.2 million to help upgrade their monitoring of volcanics across the West, in Alaska, and in Hawaii, including within Yellowstone, Mount Rainier, Hawaii Volcanoes, and Lake Clark national parks.

Yellowstone National Park entered the new year shaking and rattling. Fortunately, there hasn’t been any real rolling just yet. But over at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Redoubt Volcano has been going through its own gyrations, and volcanologists suspect it just might erupt any time now. Against that backdrop, if you want to see volcanics in action, or signs thereof, the National Park System has many opportunities for you.

Additional details are becoming available about the recent tragic crash of a glider at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Would you like an up close and personal view of the big lava flow that’s making its way into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park? You’ll need to make a long trek over dangerous, unmarked terrain. Check with park officials first.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park came into being as a component of Hawaii National Park in 1916, but it it wasn't until September 22, 1961, that it became a stand-alone unit. The fireworks for its 47th "stand-alone birthday" are being provided by Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. An eruption that began March 19 has yielded half a dozen explosive eruptions, a roiling lake of lava, and a mile-high ash plume.

Hawaii’s national parks are attracting fewer visitors than last year. As of July, attendance tallies were down nearly 10% for the year and showing signs of getting worse, especially at the parks located furthest from the main tourism/convention hub at Honolulu.

Many nonnative plant and animal species that have invaded our national parks pose a danger to the native species. On Hawaii’s Big Island, invasive plants are threatening to wreak ecosystem havoc in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. To combat this onslaught, the Park Service uses manual and mechanical removal, herbicide spraying, and biological controls.

Elevated concentrations of sulphur dioxide gas venting from the Kilauea Volcano have prompted the closure of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

A substantial surge in sulfur dioxide gases being vented in the Halema'uma'u Crater at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has prompted park officials to prepare an evacuation plan. For now, though, trade winds and rain seem to be safely dispersing the gases.

Unusually high, and potentially toxic, levels of sulfur dioxide have prompted the closure of a popular drive at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

One of the most intriguing interpretive tours I’ve joined across the national park system was the “wild cave tour” offered at Mammoth Cave National Park. For six or more hours in sections of the cave off-limits to the more traditional tours we scooted through tight places on our bellies when not able to get by on hands and knees.

Talk volcanoes and national parks and folks usually think of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and perhaps Lassen Volcanic National Park. In truth, though, there are at least 13 units of the national park system that have a volcanic past in some form or fashion.

Earlier this summer we ran a list of the Top 10 Lodges in the park system. Admittedly it's a "soft" list, one that definitely is not objective. But what some might find objectionable are the nightly costs for staying in some of these places.

It would seem to be an impossible task, to compile a list of all the lodges across the park system and figure out the 10 best. Well, someone has done it, although I'm not sure I agree with the results. Is your favorite on this list?

Things are rockin' and rollin' at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where new vents have been spewing hot lava for much of the past week. While witnessing these geologic machinations in person would be pretty cool, park officials are urging visitors to take special care in some sections of the park.