Kailua-Kona Travel Forum

Hello! I'll have a rental car at Kona as of 9 am and need to return it around 5pm the same day. Is there any WAY I can see live lava flow? I need to see it and want to see it in person. Help - I'm willing to drive a great distance to experience this once in a lifetime phenomena. Please help me - local advice needed.

Aloha. . .
Allison

Before you go and while you are there check this website http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php

It will let you know where the lava is flowing. It will be accessible in your time frame IF it is flowing.

PS. Buy a local road map before you go or when you get there, don`t depend on the rental agencies maps.

Sorry. You will be hard-pressed to see it from Kona. From Hilo you have a better chance in that short 8 hour timeframe.

There is a public viewing area near Kalapana. However, you cannot venture out to get up close to the lava (they have people out there policing the area) and your vantage point is about 1/2 mile from the flow where it enters the sea. This viewing area is accessed via Hwy 130 from the Hilo side of the island going south.

A drive from Kona to Kalapana area is close to 4 hours one way (going around the north tip of the island for the quickest trip). And you will have about a mile hike from the parking area. The time really starts stacking up here.

And if you want to see Halema'uma'u spewing her ash and steam inside HVNP, you will have about a 3 to 3 1/2 hour drive from Kona just to get to the park (going around the south tip). Again, it does not allow much time. There is no accessible lava to view from inside HVNP. However, that can always change - but as of right now and recent past, there is none. If there is any, it will be on the flats near the sea at the end of Chain of Craters Road and that is a 45 minute drive just from the Park's main entrance. We will not even discuss hiking distances.

If there is anyway to change plans and fly into Hilo, your chances of seeing the lava will increase dramatically. Otherwise, it is going to be next to impossible.

If you are interested, I have some photos and video clips of our boat tour out to see the lava from this past April posted here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17144603@N02/sets/72157604650906020/

And some photos of HVNP with Halema'uma'u spewing her ash and steam here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17144603@N02/sets/72157604722410026/

All of the pictures there have been plotted on a map. It may help you to visualize the distances if you refer to those maps linked on each photo or the map linked to the photo set.

And just so I can leave you with a little hope, the HVO website reports inflation of Pu'u 'O'o and Kilauea summit areas. This means magma is building and increased surface lava activity is possible. So conditions can change dramatically before you arrive.

Bluecollar gave you an excellent summary of the situation. We just did the drive from Kona to Hilo over the "saddle" and it took 1 hour 45 minutes to the South end of Hilo. You have to add another 30 ? minutes up 130 to the viewing station. Not much to see from that station except steam during the day. Better show at night, but can be crowded. A few locals we talked to have their secret routes to get near the areas where the lava flows. But the flows change often and what was there the day before is gone that day. You may want to splurge on $250 on a one hour helicoptor tour. I will be posting a few pics from yesterday on my Big Island site. Karl

Hey Karl,

It's nice to see that you ventured to an island other than Maui. :)

And tsk, tsk, tsk for driving your rental car on Saddle Rd. Did you forget to read the exclusions on your rental contract? :)

Tim

9-5 is a short time since it's 90 miles from Kona to the volcano. If you fly into and out of Kona the same day then taking the helicopter tour might be better. Hilo and Kona both have helicopter tours. I have used both Safari and Blue Hawaii Helicopters. Also is a much better view of the volcano from the air. And the volcano changes vents from day to day.