Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

John and I recently got married on August 11, 2018.  We decided to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon because well one: it's Hawaii, and two: it's home to two National Parks.  Hawaii Volcanoes is on the island of Hawaii (Big Island) and Haleakala is on Maui.  We stuck to those two islands for our trip as we didn't want to be jumping around too much, and really wanted to be able to relax and enjoy our honeymoon.

We arrived on Big Island around 10 a.m. Hawaii time and headed to our hotel, The Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo.  The views from the airport to our hotel were not what we expected picturing Hawaii.  We would be driving next to lava fields filled with black volcanic rock as far as we could see, and then a few miles down the road would be rolling green pastures filled with cattle.  We could see the ocean from a distance, but Big Island was nothing like those Hawaiian postcards with white sand beaches and palm trees swaying in the wind.  Big Island is home to a number of active volcanoes and it was obvious the effect they had on the landscape of the island.  It was unique, but beautiful in it's own way.

Now as far as the actual Hawaii Volcanoes National Park goes, we were not able to see very much of it.  Most of the park was still closed due to the massive lava activity that began in April of last year.  The Pu'u O'o Crater on the Kilauea Volcano collapsed and the lava lake typically found on the crater floor began to drain through previously formed lava tubes underground.  The large amount of lava began opening fissures throughout the lower east rift zone.  The lava began flowing uncontrollably, destroying over 700 homes and transforming the landscape of Big Island.  The lava had stopped actively flowing by August, but majority of the park remained closed due to repairs and safety concerns.  A small portion of the park known as the Kahuku Unit had been opened, where we were able to walk through some old lava fields.  Some of these fields were from explosions that occurred in the 1800's which had just recently b
egun to regrow vegetation.  It was interesting to be standing in the middle of one of these fields and looking out, less than 100 yards away, at a grassy hill that had been untouched by lava.  The changes in landscape on this island were both drastic and sudden, like nothing I had ever seen before.

The bottom of the picture is a lava field formed over 200 years ago.
 Adjacent to the hill, which was untouched by the lava.

New vegetation growing out of lava rock.

John and I were disappointed we were unable to see everything this park has to offer by foot, so we decided to take a helicopter tour of the island.  There was no active lava flowing, but we saw the path of destruction left in its wake.  Houses and neighborhoods gone without a trace and five miles of new land added to the perimeter of the island.  We flew over many fissures still pouring out steam and our pilot flew us around the very edge of the famous Pu'u O'o Crater.  It was truly an unforgettable experience.

Lava flow

Fissure 8

New coastline formed by the lava.

National Park Ratings:
1. Acadia National Park
2. Arches National Park
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
4. Canyonlands National Park
5. Shenandoah Valley National Park
6. Capitol Reef National Park
7. Mesa Verde National Park
8. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park*
9. Congaree National Park

*based on the section we visited