Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldn鈥檛 it be something to stay there? We do, too鈥攁ll the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

When K墨lauea volcano in Hawai鈥檌 Volcanoes National Park began to erupt last December, spewing lava 300 feet into the air, I knew I had to see it in person. And there was only one place I wanted to stay.

As the lodge closest to the mammoth K墨lauea听Crater, is a highly sought-after spot among lava lovers. On any particular day鈥攁nd especially during eruptions鈥攖he back of the property is jam-packed with people watching for a telling orange glow or bubbling magma. During an active period, it鈥檚 not unusual for 1,000 people to pass through Volcano House鈥檚 doors daily. And given that the area is one of the most volcanically active spots in the world, this happens more often than you might think.

Why I Love the Volcano House

There was a crackling energy when I walked through the doors; I鈥檓 still not sure if it was from the excitement surrounding the recent eruption or some sort of shared energy between us and the volcano. (K墨lauea had another minor eruption听the day before my arrival in the park.) I was hopeful I鈥檇 be there for a follow-up.

Volcano House staff have plenty of stories from previous eruptions. Food and Beverage Manager Tina Balubar remembers when part of K墨lauea crater was filled by a lava lake. (This lasted from 2008-2018 when the lava burst through steam vents further along the island, destroying the Leilani Estates community and causing Volcano House to briefly close.) She showed me a photo of nearby Mauna Loa erupting, K墨lauea glowing a deep orange.

鈥淚 grew up near a volcano, so I don鈥檛 get scared,鈥� Balubar says. 鈥淲hen an eruption happens, I make all the employees stop, look up, and take it all in. That鈥檚 why [many of us] are here.鈥�

Volcano House鈥檚 history stretches back further than the establishment of the Hawai鈥檌 Volcanoes National Park in 1916鈥攁ll the way back to 1846. Increased tourism caused the original thatched inn to give way to larger wooden lodges. (The original building was later moved and now serves as the park鈥檚 art gallery, where you can find听oil paintings, sculptures, and photographic prints of previous eruptions in the park.) Over the years, dignitaries like Mark Twain, Jack London, Princess Victoria Kaulani, Amelia Earhart, and President Franklin Roosevelt have stayed at one Volcano House iteration or another.

In 1921, a new two-story wing was built, upping the capacity to 115 people. Unfortunately, that version of Volcano House was destroyed by a fire (started in the kitchen, not by the volcano) in 1940; the current iteration was erected in 1941 and expanded yet again in 1961. The lodge鈥檚 current capacity is 33 rooms.

Given its position on the National Register of Historic Places, updating the lodge presents a host of challenges. Painting the building exterior took more than five years, Balubar says, because a laboratory had to analyze layers of existing paint to determine the original shade used in 1941.

I took a peek inside the old steam room, where volcanic steam was piped in for the enjoyment of male guests in the 1940s. (Back then, women weren鈥檛 allowed to sweat, apparently.) When upkeep and repair costs became too high, they filled in those steam vents with concrete, rendering it obsolete.

Room furnishings are a bit dated, but comfortable. The ratan lobby furniture fits perfectly with that aesthetic.听But let鈥檚 be honest: When you鈥檙e visiting Volcano House, you鈥檙e really here for the volcano.

Floor-to-ceiling windows face K墨lauea, allowing guests to watch for eruptions in climate-controlled comfort. Across the lobby, a stone fireplace featured a sculpted image of the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele inset in the rock. Oil paintings of previous eruptions ringed the room, while a flat-screen television played a never-ending loop of past eruption videos.

国产吃瓜黑料 Intel

Considering the current administration鈥檚 war on our national parks, I felt the need to do something positive to give back to the protected land听during my visit. Each Saturday, , an NPS-approved group of volunteers, meet up to fight invasive species in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I joined more than a dozen others armed with loppers, all prepared to cut as much Himalayan ginger as we could. For three hours, we slashed and stacked the plant, ultimately clearing about an acre of the fast-growing plant. By the end, I felt like you could see the accomplishment radiating off of听 me鈥攂ut you probably could only smell the sweat.

With the work out of the way, I had time left for more traditionally听 fun activities. I spent the remainder of my first day hiking much of the , which traverses the north end of K墨lauea before connecting with the. The next morning, I was reluctant to move away from the K墨lauea overlook outside Volcano House, not wanting to miss the expected eruption, but there are too many things to do in the park to stay in one place for too long.

Parking at the K墨lauea Iki trailhead, I hiked to the short .2-mile lava tube before descending into the K墨lauea Iki Crater. The trail, my favorite in the park, winds down a series of switchbacks beneath a rainforest canopy to the crater floor.

The change of environments, from lush forest to arid lava rock,听 is a bit jarring. Walking onto the crater surface for the first time, I felt more like an astronaut than a hiker. As the cinder crunched under my feet, I wondered what would happen if the next eruption happened here. I found myself moving a little faster afterward.

Choice Rooms

While my own room offered comfort and stunning views of the crater, front desk agent Pam Bowers suggests asking for room 11, a.k.a. Uncle George鈥檚 Room. The former abode of the longest-tenured owner of Volcano House (and the namesake of its bar), the deluxe room is among the lodge鈥檚 most spacious, with gorgeous hardwood floors and one of the best views of the crater. It鈥檚 the most requested room by far, so be sure to book well in advance.

Can鈥檛 get a room at Volcano House? Check out the lodge鈥檚 , located about five minutes from the front entrance gate.

Eat and Drink

Volcano House鈥檚 menu is a mix of familiar favorites, like pizza and burgers, and more upscale offerings. The seafood is top notch. I overheard a few other diners raving about the barbecued prawns and New York Strip. But after a busy day on the trails and in the woods, all I wanted was a cheeseburger and a beer. Volcano House鈥檚 signature burger with cheddar cheese and avocado aioli, served on a punuluu sweet-bread bun, hit the spot perfectly.

When to Go

You can reserve rooms a year in advance, and Volcano House is typically fully booked about two months ahead. If you wait until a volcano starts burping lava to reserve a room, you鈥檙e probably going to be too late. But that doesn鈥檛 stop the calls when the volcanic activity starts.

鈥淎 while back, we had an eruption that started at 4 A.M.,鈥� Bowers says, 鈥淭he phone didn鈥檛 stop ringing until at least 2 P.M.鈥�

It鈥檚 a roll of the dice as to when the next eruption might happen, but for the best chances of getting a room, try booking for the spring or summer.

As my time at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park came to an end, I was reluctant to leave. Not just because K墨lauea hadn鈥檛 yet erupted during my visit, but also the hospitality I was shown at Volcano House made me want to stay. But given the volcanic upheaval here, I鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l be back at some point.

How to Get There

Volcano House is less than an hour鈥檚 drive from Hilo International Airport (ITO) and about 140 minutes from Kona International (KOA). There鈥檚 no airport shuttle, but you can reserve a car from any number of rental companies on site.

Don’t Miss

If you鈥檙e crossing the ocean to visit Hawai鈥檌 Volcanoes, you should also make a point to visit Hawaii鈥檚 other national park, 贬补濒别补办补濒腻 on Maui. Both spots used to be known collectively as Hawaii National Park, but were split into two distinct parks in 1960. The flight between Maui and the Big Island is fairly inexpensive and lasts about 30 minutes.

I enjoyed a day hiking throughout 贬补濒别补办补濒腻 and a night near the summit, observing the stars with ( , from $250). Ironically, 贬补濒别补办补濒腻鈥檚 crater summit isn鈥檛 volcanic, but rather another form of geographical upheaval: two valleys merging at the summit of a volcano.

If you want to stick to one island for your visit, check out on the Kona side of the island, about two hours away. You鈥檒l learn about the lives of ancient native Hawaiians, as well as the geologic history of the island.

Details

Price: Room prices start at $285 for a standard room, $335 for a room with a crater view.

Address: 1 Crater Rim Drive,
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718

The post This Hawaii Lodge Overlooks an Active Volcano appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

America鈥檚 national parks are known for their vast tracts of unspoiled wilderness, and we love celebrating the trails that take you deep into the backcountry听of these iconic landscapes. But sometimes, the best views in our national parks can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car. Here are the eight best national park scenic roads.

1. Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail Ridge Road carves a 48-mile path through the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, connecting the gateway towns听of Estes Park and Grand Lake. It鈥檚 one of the highest paved roads in the country, with a peak elevation of 12,183 feet at the Gore Range Overlook. The two-lane blacktop is a stiff challenge for cyclists (I always see a few on this road when I鈥檓 in the park) as it climbs more than 4,000 feet in just 12 miles, but it鈥檚 a convenient way for the rest of us to enjoy a high alpine environment; roughly eight miles of the road cruises above tree line with expansive views in either direction. Given the altitude, snowfall means the road is typically only open from late May to early October. I drove the road in July with my family one year, and we marveled at the amount of snow that was still piled up at the pass.

Best View听

The Gore Range Overlook (at mile 19.3 if you鈥檙e coming from Estes Park) sits near the crest of the road with long range views to the west of the Never Summer Mountains. Gaze down from the parking lot and you鈥檒l see small ponds scattered across the tundra. To the east, you can see Longs Peak, one of Colorado鈥檚 most famous 14ers.

Get Out of Your Car

If you drive the entire road, you鈥檒l have more than a dozen opportunities for short hikes. Make sure you explore from the Alpine Visitor Center. It鈥檚 usually not as crowded as Alpine Ridge, which also begins at the visitor center, but takes you through the high alpine tundra with views of the Never Summer Mountains in the distance and the Cache de la Poudre River below. You鈥檒l hit a forest of spruce and firs after two miles, which is where most people turn around. If you go all the way to Milner Pass, it鈥檚 an eight-mile out and back, dropping 1,000 feet on its way to the pass. Keep an eye out for pikas and marmots along the way.

Reservations

You need a to enter Rocky Mountain National Park during the summer, but if you鈥檙e only planning to stick to Trail Ridge Road and not visit the super popular Bear Lakes Corridor, then reservations are easier to get and only necessary between 9 and 2. So even if you don鈥檛 plan ahead, you could start your drive early and catch the sunrise, or start in the afternoon and enjoy the sunset.

2. Chain of Craters Road, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii听

You should drive this road now, while you can, because there鈥檚 no guarantee that the pavement will exist in the future. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island, encompasses several active volcanoes that have altered the landscape and the two-lane scenic highway multiple times in the last century. Currently, Chain of Craters Road is just shy of 19 miles long, traveling from the top of Kilauea Volcano to the Holei Sea Arch, which hangs over the Pacific Ocean. The road used to carry on past the arch, but that portion of the highway has been swallowed by lava. That鈥檚 what makes this road different from most others in the national park system; you get the opportunity to see the lava that created the Hawaiian islands up close and personal, as the road cruises by several active volcanic craters and the remnants of their outbursts.

Best View

Most of the pullouts along the road offer expansive views of lava fields in various stages of existence. The newer ones will be dark, rolling fields void of life, but the older lava flows will have vegetation and trees sprouting from the creases. The best view comes at the end of the road, when you can take a short walk to see the Holei Sea Arch, a tall, skinny window in a lava-rock cliff that formed over time as the Pacific Ocean slowly eroded the center of the rock.

Get Out of Your Car

There are a handful of hiking opportunities along the Chain of Craters Road. You can even hike what鈥檚 left of the former road beyond the current turn-around point at Holei Sea Arch. If you want a short hike, the .7-mile will take you on a boardwalk through an old lava field to a vast collection of petroglyphs that were carved into the lava more than 500 years ago.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

3. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia听

Skyline Drive runs 105 miles through the center of Shenandoah National Park, following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Consider this road a compressed version of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, which connects Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. You can do the road in half a day, but a campground and at the halfway mark make this the perfect two-day adventure. The two-lane road crests at 3,680 feet and offers 75 pullouts with views that extend deep into the mountains and down to the Shenandoah Valley below. Timing your visit during the fall, when the hardwoods in the surrounding mountains are popping with color, makes Skyline Drive a bucket list experience. Biking Skyline from end to end is one of the most memorable centuries on the East Coast. The road is open year round, but will occasionally be closed during the winter because of snow. Check the before you start your trip.

Best View

There are overlooks every couple of miles along Skyline, but the views really stack up around the midpoint as the road reaches its highest elevations. Spitler Knob Overlook, at milepost 48.1, looks west, taking in the Shenandoah River below and the mountains that divide Virginia and West Virginia on the horizon. The sunset from here is stunning, too.

Get Out of Your Car

Head for the highest point in the park by hiking the to the 4,049-foot Hawksbill Summit. The 2.1-mile out and back begins at milepost 46.5, and ends at an observation platform on top of Hawksbill with a 360-degree view of the mountains and surrounding Piedmont.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

4. Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana听

Yeah, this road is crowded, with parking lots along its path notoriously filling up by 10 A.M., but there鈥檚 a reason. Going-to-the-Sun Road, which bisects Glacier National Park while connecting the small gateway communities of West Glacier and St. Mary, might be the most scenic two-lane blacktop in the entire national park system. The 50-mile-long point to point highway delivers views of glaciated peaks, backcountry lakes, and the occasional waterfall, not to mention a great chance to see mountain goats. The road is an engineering feat as well鈥攊t took workers two decades to complete, with builders boring a number of tunnels into the cliffs. Going-to-the-Sun is only open to vehicles during the summer (typically from mid June to mid October), and there鈥檚 a brief hiker/biker season in May when human-powered traffic can access the road after it鈥檚 been plowed, but before the gates are open to cars.

Best View

Logan Pass is the most popular destination on the road, thanks to the visitor center and multiple trailheads there, but the Jackson Glacier Overlook has the sweetest view, as it gives you the best chance to see a glacier from the comfort of your car.

Get Out of Your Car

Going-to-the-Sun provides access to some of Glacier鈥檚 most iconic hikes and landscapes, so you could spend a full week knocking out trails without ever venturing beyond the road鈥檚 corridor. The 2.8-mile is a classic. You won鈥檛 have the trail to yourself (it鈥檚 one of the most popular hikes in the park) but the terrain you鈥檒l experience is iconic Glacier, passing through meadows full of wildflowers in the summer before it听reaches a vantage point overlooking a high alpine lake nestled at the base of the granite-rimmed Bearhat Mountain. Turn back or double your mileage by following the trail to the edge of the lake itself.

Reservations

You need for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road from June 13 to September 28, between the hours of 7 A.M. and 3 P.M. Show up before or after that daily window if you want to drive the road but can鈥檛 score a reservation.

5. Crater Lake Rim Drive, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon听

Crater Lake is a sight to behold. The 13,148-acre pool is the deepest lake in the United States, fed entirely by rain and snowmelt, and completely encompassed by the rim of a volcanic crater that was formed more than 7,000 years ago during an eruption. And it鈥檚 all set within the backdrop of Oregon鈥檚 Cascade Mountain Range. The 33-mile Rim Drive gives you a chance to see this lake and the crater from every angle as it forms a paved, two-lane path around the entire scene. There are 30 overlooks along the way, most of which offer a good view of the bright blue water and Wizard Island, a cinder cone island rising 775 feet above the surface of the lake. One of the coolest features of the road is that it was built to disappear into the landscape, so that you can鈥檛 see it as you鈥檙e looking out over the lake. Like many of the scenic park roads built in the 1920s and 30s, Rim Drive has tight curves and very little shoulder, so drive cautiously and watch out for cyclists. Crater Lake National Park gets an average of 41 feet of snow a year, so the road closes for winter, typically from November 1 to June 1.

Best View

Watchman Overlook, 6.5 miles from the visitor center, has one of the best views of the lake, particularly at sunset as it faces west. There鈥檚 also a short, mile-long Watchman Peak Trail that leads to a fire lookout tower with a 360-degree view of the lake, crater, and surrounding Cascade Mountains.

Get Out of the Car

You鈥檒l get plenty of vista views of the lake from above, but is the only legal trail you can take down to the water鈥檚 edge. Find the trailhead on the East Rim Drive, 4.5 miles from where North Entrance Road intersects with West Rim Drive. It鈥檚 a steep, 1.1-mile sandy path from the road to the lake, dropping 700 feet before hitting the boulder-laden shore. Yes, you can take a dip in the water, but it鈥檚 cold, averaging 57 degrees in the summer.

Reservations

Crater Lake National Park doesn鈥檛 require reservations, but there is a $30 per vehicle entrance fee.

6. White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Canyonlands National Park鈥檚 White Rim Road isn鈥檛 like others on this list. Instead of a paved highway, is a 100-mile four-wheel drive route through the backcountry of Canyonlands, forming a loop around the park鈥檚 Island in the Sky district. It鈥檚 a two-day adventure, at minimum, requiring a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, as well as solid navigational and backcountry skills. But if you have the chops, there鈥檚 no better way to see the park than driving (or mountain biking, if you are so inclined) White Rim Road. Named for the pale slickrock that dominates much of the road鈥檚 terrain, the driving is a mix of sandy washes, rough rocky stretches and the aforementioned slickrock, which will occasionally take you to the edge of canyons. It鈥檚 a two-way road, but most people drive it clockwise. No matter which you go, it should only be attempted by overland veterans and always keep an eyee out for oncoming vehicles, hikers, and bikers. You鈥檒l see towering buttes and monoliths as you drive along the Green River and switchback your way up and down the edges of deep gorges.

Best View

You鈥檒l see some amazing scenery throughout the entirety of this road, but Monument Basin, roughly 30 miles into the drive if you鈥檙e moving clockwise, will give you the chance to park above beauitful canyons and snag an Instagram-worthy shot. Inside the basin below, you鈥檒l see countless red sandstone spires rising from the valley floor.

Get Out of Your Car

The is a 3.4-mile out and back that leaves White Rim Road at mile 65 and meanders across the slickrock to the ruins of a stone structure built by the indigenous people that inhabited the area hundreds of years ago. From the ruin, you鈥檒l have a grand view of the Green River below, with its lush banks standing in contrast to the red desert on either side.

Reservations

Any overnight along White Rim requires a . You can apply for a permit up to four months in advance of your trip ($36 permit fee, plus a $5 per person, per night camping fee), and designated campsites are scattered along the route.

7. Grand Loop, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho

驰别濒濒辞飞蝉迟辞苍别鈥檚 Grand Loop isn鈥檛 a single road, but a combination of two-lane roads that form a 145-mile figure eight through the heart of the park. You can do the entire figure eight or just tackle the upper or lower loop. If you attempt to drive the entire Grand Loop, it will be an all-day adventure. Some visitors even break it up into two full days, knocking up the Upper Loop on day one and Lower Loop on the second day. Drive the entire Grand Loop and you鈥檒l hit most of the highlights in America鈥檚 oldest national park, with a chance to stop at geothermal wonders like Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, and Grand Prismatic Spring, while also being able to take quick detours to iconic landscapes, like the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Lamar Valley, a broad grassland bisected by the Lamar River that attracts big game like bison and grizzly bears. If you have a snowmobile, you can explore the Grand Loop during winter, otherwise you鈥檒l have to plan your trip between May and the end of October, when the road is cleared of snow. And be prepared for the occasional 鈥渂ison jam,鈥� when cars stop to watch the locals.

Best View

Artist Point Overlook, a detour off of the Upper Grand Loop on the South Rim Drive, provides the best view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, which is 20 miles long and more than 1,000 feet deep. From this overlook, you get a great view of the canyon鈥檚 Lower Falls, a tumultuous 300-foot waterfall flanked by steep rock walls.

Get Out of Your Car

The seven-mile out and back from 听delivers views of the park鈥檚 most iconic landscapes, with vistas of the rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley (a primo wildlife watching spot), and Yellowstone Lake. On a clear day from the lookout tower on top of Mount Washburn, you can see straight into the Grand Tetons, too. You鈥檒l be following an old stage coach road on this hike, so there鈥檚 even a bit of Wild West culture thrown in for good measure.

Reservations

No vehicle reservations needed. Entrance fee is $35 per vehicle.

8. Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Maine

础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Park Loop is the quintessential national park scenic drive: it鈥檚 short, gorgeous, and provides access to the park鈥檚 most popular destinations. The 27-mile one-way loop traverses the eastern flank of 础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Mount Desert Island skipping from freshwater ponds to beaches and cliffs, delivering some of Maine鈥檚 most iconic coastal views along the way. Acadia gets three million visitors a year, so the road gets congested, but you can still complete the loop in just a few hours. Take your time though, as Park Loop provides access to short trails and beaches that could keep you entertained for days. If you get a timed entry permit, you can tack on the three-mile too, which rises 1,530 feet straight out of the ocean, offering long range views of the Atlantic.

Best View

Dramatic views are a near constant along Park Loop, but Otter Cliff stands out above the rest, literally and figuratively. Otter Cliff is 110 feet tall, making it one of the tallest cliffs on the east coast. Spruce trees sprout from the top of the cliff, while a boulder-strewn beach can be seen below. Hit the cliff during the summer and there鈥檚 a good chance you鈥檒l see multiple species of whales in the water.

Get Out of Your Car

Make a stop at Sand Beach, where you can take a swim if you鈥檙e brave enough to handle the Atlantic鈥檚 frigid temperatures, lounge and walk the , an easy stroll that accesses a variety of views of the Atlantic and Mount Desert Island鈥檚 coastline. The path will also take you to Thunder Hole, an inlet carved into the cliffs where incoming waves create a thunderous echo.

Reservations

You don鈥檛 need reservations to enter Acadia or drive the Park Loop, but you will need them if you want to drive the summit road to the top of . Entrance fee to the park is $35 per vehicle.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national park columnist. He loves a scenic road with an overlook as much as the next tourist and he recently wrote about the best road trips in the Southwest. He鈥檚 excited to plan his family鈥檚 next spring break trip, too.听

The post The 8 Best National Park Drives appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

63 Parks Traveler started with a simple goal: to visit every U.S. national park. Avid backpacker and public-lands nerd saved up, built out a tiny van to travel and live in, and hit the road, practicing COVID-19 best safety protocols along the way. The parks as we know them are rapidly changing, and she wanted to see them before it鈥檚 too late. Hawaii Volcanoes is her 61st park visit.

is brimming with duality. When I first arrived at the park, on the southeastern edge of the Big Island, I was surprised to find that the area鈥檚 lush, tropical foliage was punctuated by thick stripes of former lava flows that clung to the backside of Kilauea like black veins. Steam vents hissed clouds of noxious gases into the bright blue sky. But I knew that the earth here glowed from within.

Figuring that a ranger would have excellent suggestions for the best hiking trails through the pocky volcanic terrain, my friend Ave and I steered our rented VW Eurovan camper toward the and sauntered over to the help desk. It was morning, and our stoke was high when we heard that some of the best options began right where we were standing.

The two of us wandered down the , where the stench of rotten eggs and the radioactive-yellow color of sulfur crystals greeted us. Seeking a little more geological action, we turned right onto and began to traverse the edge of the most active volcano on the planet. Pausing at each overlook, we started to notice that wreaths of flowers had been left on many of the railings鈥攐fferings to the goddess Pelehonuamea.

Pele, also known as She Who Shapes the Sacred Land, is a deity of both creation and destruction. According to Native Hawaiians, she makes her home in the Halemaumau Crater, atop 4,009-foot Kilauea, and though her volatile, unpredictable forces might wipe out a swath of verdant rainforest with a torrent of molten lava, she is also the mother of nascent earth itself. Since 1983, more than 70 acres of new land have been added to this side of the island.

A few days before my flight for Hawaii left Los Angeles, Kilauea began for the first time since September 2018. What luck! Having never seen lava before in person, I was determined to witness the birthing of new ground firsthand. Ave and I walked back to the van and set off for our next point in the park.

Afternoon saw us trekking along the 5.3-mile , which explores the crater of a massive 1959 eruption. I found myself utterly charmed by pioneer plants hardy enough to begin the work of eroding the dark volcanic rock into soil. Flamboyant pops of red and green graced the trail as we passed whimsical ohia lehua trees, standing like sentinels to guard the storied landscape.

At dusk we returned to the Kilauea Caldera, waiting out the last of the sunshine to marvel at the glowing red chasm of active eruption happening within it. The healthy tropical greenery all around us betrayed the apparent devastation and rupture deep below. The park was a paradox, an invitation to hold two truths in equal measure in my mind. After so much pandemic upheaval, it was a skill I鈥檇 begun to find necessary.

Birth and death. Creation and destruction. The essential ingredients of life, I mused as the solid ground from my viewpoint descended hundreds of feet into a luminous pink lake of fire. Something about facing the truth head-on made me feel more fearless than I had in a long while. I held my breath in awe.

63 Parks Traveler Hawaii Volcanoes Info

Size: 323,431 acres

Location: The Big Island of Hawaii

Created In: 1916 (Hawaii National Park)

Best For: Volcano viewing, hiking, Native history, geology, scenic drives

When to Go: Thanks to its tropical location, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park maintains a relatively warm, humid climate throughout the year; however, summer (54 to 74 degrees) sees a bit less precipitation. Winter (49 to 68 degrees) is considered high season for the Hawaiian Islands, while spring (50 to 71 degrees) and fall (54 to 73 degrees) are shoulder seasons and see fewer crowds.

Where to Stay: I opted to rent a vintage Eurovan from the lovely folks at . This, paired with a rural Hipcamp near the national park, made it easy to snack, sleep, and saunter whenever we wanted. In addition, Hawaii Volcanoes hosts : Namakanipaio, which has restrooms, potable water, BBQ pits, and picnic tables, and Kulanaokuaiki, more rustic first-come, first-served dry camp with vault toilets and picnic tables.

Mini 国产吃瓜黑料: Take an easy hike along , then go for a scenic drive. If you鈥檝e only got one day in the park, you鈥檒l be remiss if you don鈥檛 spend some of it circumnavigating the immense Kilauea Caldera and gazing out at the steam and smoke rising from the volcano鈥檚 eruption. Afterward, take a winding drive along the 19-mile , which begins near the Kilauea Iki overlook and continues past decades of old lava flows before reaching the park鈥檚 coastal district and some seriously stunning ocean views.

Mega 国产吃瓜黑料: Splurge on a helicopter tour for breathtaking panoramas of the Halemaumau Crater from above and witness the raw power of molten rock turning into new earth. offers an epic Circle of Fire trip ($369), which departs from Hilo, on the island鈥檚 east side, and flies travelers past umber-tinted cinder cones and red lava fountains inside Hawaii Volcanoes.

Also, while you’re on the Big Island, you may want to hike . Volcanoes National Park at 4,000 feet above sea level is a good place to acclimate for the 13,804-foot hike.

Editorial note: Check with the Park Service for the most up-to-date 听of active areas, as closures can happen at any time depending on eruptive activity.

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It doesn鈥檛 matter where I am in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park鈥攕tanding at the Kilauea Iki overlook, which听has views of a听mile-long crater, peering into steam vents along the edge of Kilauea Crater, holding my breath at the sulphur banks along the 鈥攖he inner geologist in me stirs.

I鈥檝e been visiting this national park for decades, and every time it鈥檚 different. I鈥檝e walked along newly formed ledges at night, the black igneous rock crunching under my hiking boots, to watch 2,000-degree molten lava听tumble into the ocean. I鈥檝e pulled over on the side of the 18.8-mile Chain of Craters Road, lain听on the hood of my rental car, and gawked at a night sky blanketed in stars. I鈥檝e witnessed lava fountaining in the distance, reminding me of this park鈥檚 mystic roots鈥攖his is the sacred home of the fire goddess Pele, whose unpredictable nature is the force the shapes the land.

Located on the southeastern side of the island, the mammoth听333,308-acre national park is ever changing, due, in large part, to Kilauea, one of the island鈥檚 two active shield volcanoes that, up until 2018, had been continuously emitting lava听from Puu Oo, a volcanic cone in Kilauea鈥檚 eastern rift zone, since 1983.听Kilauea has experienced听destructive eruptions throughout the decades, like Kalapana in the late eighties听and Kapoho in 1960. But in May 2018, an unprecedented event听in both scale听and strength听forced the longest shutdown in the park鈥檚 history鈥�134 days鈥攁s lava and earthquakes took out trails, park buildings, roads, and water systems;听destroyed more than 700 homes in the nearby Puna district; and consumed beloved Kapoho Bay, a favorite spot for snorkeling and swimming. And although the volcanoes鈥� volatility is a danger, it is听also a source of life.

This national park is dynamic and diverse. It stretches from sea level to the summit of 13,679-foot ,听the largest volcano in the world, and boasts rugged coastlines, lava fields, lush rainforests, sacred cultural sites, barren desert landscapes, and alpine tundra. There are plenty of places where you can still be alone, despite the more than 1.5 million visitors who flock to the park every year.

What You Need to Know Before You Go

Kilauea is not erupting鈥攁t least not right now. This is the most asked question by visitors, and for good reason. The park recently experienced one of the longest continuous eruptions听ever recorded, and for those 35 years,听people could witness the marvels of volcanism up close鈥攈iking to vents where steam rose听from groundwater hitting hot volcanic rock, flying over active lava flows in helicopters, even taking boat tours to watch molten lava seep into the ocean. 鈥淲e had the most accessible place to see lava in the world,鈥� says Ben Hayes, the park鈥檚 chief of interpretation and education. 鈥淚t鈥檚 become an expectation. People ask, 驶Where鈥檚 the lava?鈥� and our answer is, 鈥業t鈥檚 all around you.鈥� We still have amazing things to see and experience.鈥� That said, experts believe Kilauea will likely erupt again听soon.听鈥淗awaiian Volcano Observatory scientists tell us magma is again moving back to the summit, but no one knows when it will erupt again. There will be signs鈥攅arthquakes and elevated levels of volcanic gas鈥攂ut for now we just don鈥檛 know,鈥� says听park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane.

It will be colder and wetter than you think.听Located on the island鈥檚 southeastern side and partly made up of rainforest, the park can get more than 200 inches of rain in a year. (The islands average 17 inches of rain annually.) When Hurricane Lane struck Hawaii听Island in August 2018, it was the second-wettest cyclone on record in the U.S., dumping three feet of rain in two days within听the park alone. And with an elevation of听4,000 feet above sea level,听temperatures here are substantially lower than at an oceanfront resort. Lows are in the forties and听highs are in the sixties, regardless of听the time of year. 鈥淲e get a lot of rain. That鈥檚 just the Hawaii-volcano experience,鈥� Hayes says. 鈥淵ou need to be prepared. Layers and rainjackets.鈥�

Avoid Tuesdays. This is the day when Pride of America, a cruise ship that sails around Hawaii, docks in the eastern town of Hilo and lets out hundreds of passengers听who head straight to the national park for the day. Park staff call it 鈥淭urn Left Tuesday,鈥� because听they encourage听visitors to turn left after entering the park to avoid the 听and head to the coast along 听first, as crowds will typically hit sights like the Kilauea Iki Trail that leads up to the volcano and Nahuku (a.k.a. the Thurston Lava Tube), both located near the visitor听center,听before venturing to the coast in the afternoon.

Parts of the park are still closed. In May 2018, the summit area of the park was severely impacted by thousands of earthquakes, which caused rockfalls and damaged buildings, roads, and trails. The park reopened in September 2018, and most of its most popular spots, including the recent reopening of , are up and running, but a handful of sites remain closed, including the overlook at the ,听parts of ,听and Iliahi Trail, a 1.2-mile rainforest loop hike. , which is precariously perched at the edge of Halemaumau Crater, is听permanently closed as a result of the听crater鈥檚 collapse, which went from a depth of 280 to 1,600 feet. A short section of Crater Rim Drive, near the museum, is still closed because听the adjoining overlook and parking lot were swallowed up by the crater. The closure听of certain areas has听also reduced the number of parking spaces in the park鈥攆inding an open spot听midday can be tough, so plan to arrive early at popular sites.

How to Get There

The nearest airport to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is听Hilo International, about 30 miles to the northeast. It鈥檚 an easy, direct drive along Route 11 (Hawaii Belt Road) to the park鈥檚 entrance. Along the way you鈥檒l pass through the sleepy towns of Kurtistown and Mountain View, where you can stop by the family-run for a cup of locally grown brew. If you鈥檙e coming from the western Kona Coast, the drive will take around two hours, a lot of it through desolate lava fields. If you are coming from this direction, though, you can make a pit stop at Ka Lae, also known as South Point, the southernmost point of the 50 states. Looking directly south, out at the Pacific, the nearest landmass is Antarctica. Seriously.

When Is the Best Time to听Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?

This is Hawaii, so the weather doesn鈥檛 vary much month to month, with temperatures averaging between 66 to 85 degrees throughout the year. It does snow on Hawaii Island in the winter months鈥攁t the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea鈥攂ut that likely won鈥檛 affect your visit. Unlike other U.S. national parks that see听an influx of visitors during certain seasons, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is busy year-round, thanks to the island鈥檚听sublime weather and moderate climate.

Winter

There are really only two seasons in Hawaii: wet and dry. November to March is the rainy season, with higher precipitation on the north and east shores. The weather during these months can often be mercurial: one day it鈥檚 blazing hot, another you might wish you鈥檇 packed a parka. Winter is a peak season for travel in Hawaii, though, with mainland visitors escaping to the islands from colder climes. It鈥檚 also the time when monster surf hits north-facing shores, luring听expert wave riders and curious spectators. And thousands of North Pacific humpback whales make their annual migration from Alaska听to Hawaii鈥檚 warmer waters during these months to mate and give birth. This spectacle boosts the number of cruise ships docking on Hawaii Island, and, according to Hayes, these passengers are likely to visit the national park.

Spring

The weather tends to stay cool and wet during the start of spring, making it a good time to visit, as the peak season tapers off and typically busy spots in the park aren鈥檛 as crowded. You鈥檒l likely find better rates at nearby hotels, too. The park does get a surge of visitors during spring break; around the weekend of the annual , a weeklong听hula competition in Hilo, in April; and during Golden Week, a stretch of Japanese holidays that run from late April through early May, which brings an influx of Japanese visitors to the islands.

Summer and Fall听

June and July are exceptionally busy at the park, with families on vacation and gorgeous warm weather luring folks outdoors. Due to its altitude, the area around Kilauea tends to be about 15 degrees cooler than along听the coast, which averages 85 degrees, making for great hiking and camping weather. But June through November听is also听hurricane season in the islands, when听tropical storms can bring torrential rain and whipping winds. To avoid the crowds, plan to arrive at the park by sunup, hitting the more popular trails early. Other pathways听in the park, like the easy 1.2-mile Kipukapuaulu Trail, which听cuts through an old koa and ohia forest, are often uncrowded, even during summer and fall months. And if you really want to get away, head to the park鈥檚 Kahuku Unit on the southerly slopes of Mauna Loa, about an hour drive southwest from the Kilauea Visitor Center. This 116,000-acre former ranchland was acquired by the park in 2003 and is open to the public five days a week. Hike to the top of a cinder cone,听walk along a historic ranch road to听see tree molds and lava flows from 1868,听or bike through scenic pastures for some of the best panoramic views of the area. You can also book ranger-guided hikes.

Where to Stay

In the Park

(from $220), the only hotel in the park, is perched on the rim of the Kilauea caldera, with a view of Halemaumau Crater. Originally built in 1846, this historic retreat has since been restored听and has 33 guest rooms and ten cabins. It also houses a popular restaurant, the Rim, with live music every night. You can walk to the Kilauea Visitor Center from here. If you鈥檙e an active-duty or retired member of the military or a Department of Defense employee or sponsor, you can stay at , which occupies 50 acres in the park. Once a working military post, the camp converted its 90 cottages and apartments into vacation lodgings, with a fitness center, caf茅, general store, and bowling alley available to guests (from $72).

The park also features two drive-in campgrounds: Namakanipaio and Kulanaokuaiki. Both operate on a first-come, first served basis.听, operated by Volcano House, has 16 campsites (from $50) surrounded by fragrant eucalyptus and native ohia trees, with restrooms, running water, picnic tables, and barbecue pits. It鈥檚 located at 4,000 feet elevation, so nighttime temperatures can dip into the low thirties. , meanwhile, sits听at an elevation of听3,200 feet and offers听eight campsites (from $15). You can also hike and camp in the backcountry (register or in person, and pay a $10 permit fee per trip) and find yourself completely immersed in the park at one of eight campsites. , on the southern coast of the park, is one of the more popular backcountry sites听and can be accessed via the 11.3-mile Puna Coast Trail, 8.5-mile Keauhou Trail, or the 8-mile Hilina Pali Trail. The site sits on a small, secluded sandy beach dotted with coconut trees.

Beyond the Park

Just outside the park鈥檚 main entrance, right off Mamalohoa Highway (Hawaii Belt Road), is the quaint town of Volcano鈥攃alled Volcano Village鈥攚here you鈥檒l find a variety of lodgings, from the rooms and cottage at the rustic (from $145)听to the more upscale , where you should book the Sanctuary Cottage, a 200-square-foot hexagonal space with floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor bath hidden amid the foliage (from $230). There are even more options in Hilo, about 30 miles northeast of the park. The听, just a few miles from downtown Hilo, sprawls over 42 lush acres on a cliff overlooking a 120-foot waterfall鈥攖he state鈥檚 largest privately accessible waterfall (which means no crowds)鈥攚ith several Asian-inspired, off-the-grid cabins (from $99). The听, a DoubleTree by Hilton, sits on Hilo Bay with 388 guest rooms, 19 suites, and a nine-hole golf course (from $175).

What to Do While You鈥檙e There

Hiking

With more than 150 miles of trails, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is best explored on foot. Hikes range in difficulty from easy walks and half-day treks to challenging expeditions through the park鈥檚 wild backcountry. One of the most popular options鈥攁nd my personal favorite鈥攊s the four-mile , which reopened in its entirety in September听(it was damaged by earthquakes during the 2018 Kilauea eruption). The terrain varies, starting in a forest of native ohia trees and endemic hapuu (Hawaiian tree ferns) and ending听with a walk across the massive Kilauea Iki Crater, which was a seething lava lake spewing听lava fountains of up to 1,900 feet听and now looks like the surface of another planet.

For an easier trek, check out the one-mile stroll along the paved , which meanders through a stark landscape buried by falling cinder from the lava fountains of the 1959 Kilauea Iki eruption. More experienced hikers鈥攁nd those looking for some solitude鈥攃an tackle听the backcountry Maunaiki Trail, which traverses the harsh Kau听Desert for two miles to the barren summit of 3,034-foot Maunaiki听and offers听sweeping views of the park. You can continue beyond the summit for another seven miles to Hilina Pali Road, past craggy cinder cones and fissures and across fields of broken, jagged lava. There鈥檚 no water and very little shade, so, as with all hikes, bring sufficient water and sun protection.

Biking

There aren鈥檛 many places in the world where you can cycle through lava fields. Rent a bike from 听and ride along the 8.8-mile Chain of Craters Road to the coast, stopping at the Puu Loa petroglyphs, the largest petroglyph field in Hawaii鈥攖here are more than 23,000 images鈥攁nd a sacred cultural site dated between 1200 and 1450 A.D. Or book a guided excursion听with , which has several options, including a full-day, 15-mile tour of the park from Kilauea Crater听down Chain of Craters Road听to the ocean.

Bird-Watching

Hawaii is a great destination for bird-watching, primarily because of its collection of unique and rare species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. More than one-third of all U.S. birds protected by the Endangered Species Act reside here. Endemic birds such as the iiwi听(scarlet honeycreeper), amakihi (Hawaiian honeycreeper), elepaio (monarch flycatcher), nene听(Hawaiian goose), and io (Hawaiian hawk) can all be spotted at the park. The most accessible place to seek out听Hawaii鈥檚 endemic forest birds is on the , a 1.2-mile loop through pristine native forestland in an area referred to as 鈥渂ird park.鈥� Grab your binoculars and go听in the morning when these small birds are most active. Better yet, book a tour with (from $209), which hosts excellent bird-watching outings. And since the American Birding Association finally included Hawaii as part of听its ABA Area in 2016, serious birders can now count the island鈥檚 avian species听on their life lists.

The Best Places to Eat and Drink Around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

With two million visitors to the park every year鈥攁nd only one on-site restaurant located at the Volcano House hotel鈥攊t鈥檚 no wonder eateries and food trucks have popped up in Volcano Village, the small town just outside the park. A favorite is , a casual spot that serves locally caught fish, shrimp from Keahole, on the westernmost point of the island, and killer baby-back ribs with a house-made Fuji-apple barbecue sauce. Its specialty, though, is wood-fired pizzas, best paired with the local beers on draft. For authentic Thai food, check out听, found at nearby , about a five-minute drive from the park.听Portions are big, and prices are great. For something to bring into the park, Eagle鈥檚 Lighthouse Caf茅, next door to Ohelo Caf茅, serves sizable deli sandwiches, hearty soups, salads, and baked goods.

If You Have Time for a Detour

Spend some time in Hilo, on Hawaii Island鈥檚 east coast. Here听you can visit the lively ; I recommend Wednesdays and Saturdays, when the daily market swells to more than 200 vendors selling everything from seasonal fruits to Hawaiian-grown coffee. For poke, a dish made with cubed raw fish, visit the no-frills , an iconic fish auction and market right on Hilo Bay. Locals hit up for its speciality: strawberry mochi鈥攁 large strawberry encased in pillowy-soft, sweet Japanese rice cake. You need to order ahead for these treats, but you can also just pop in and grab a variety of other mochi filled with sweet adzuki (Japanese red-bean paste), peanut butter, or chocolate brownies. (Cash only, FYI.)

Right in town, you鈥檒l find Rainbow Falls, named for the rainbows that show there in the early morning. And if you didn鈥檛 do enough hiking at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, head to , about 11 miles north of Hilo. A short half-mile hike wanders through a lush rainforest before reaching the first waterfall, the 100-foot Kahuna Falls. Just around the bend is the star attraction: 442-foot Akaka Falls, which cascades into a stream-eroded gorge.

How to Be Conscious

Due to the volcanic nature of the park, it鈥檚 especially important to only use open and marked trails, as cliffs, cracks, and steam vents are scattered throughout. It鈥檚 also important to leave rocks alone. Park staff often use ahu (stacked rocks) to mark trails. This is not an invitation to do the same. It鈥檚 culturally insensitive, not to mention听disorienting to hikers. And taking lava rocks is believed to bring bad luck; hundreds of people return them to the park every year.

Hawaii was the first state in the U.S. to ban plastic bags, so you鈥檒l need to bring your own reusable totes or expect to pay for paper bags at shops and stores. Plastic goods are next鈥攖he state is gearing up for a massive ban on single-use plastics, to include听disposable plates, utensils, and straws, starting in 2021. It听has also banned the sale of sunscreen containing reef-harming chemicals, a law that will go听into effect in 2021.

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Yes, the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii鈥檚 Big Island is erupting. The lava started flowing in early May, and last week, the U.S. Geological Survey changed the advisory warning on Kilauea to , warning that a major eruption is imminent or underway.

But here鈥檚 the good news: You don鈥檛 need to cancel your upcoming vacation to the Aloha State. The rest of the island chain is untouched by lava, ash, and poor air quality, and of the Big Island鈥檚 4,028 square miles, less than ten are currently affected by the eruption. In fact, if you didn鈥檛 have a trip booked, now might be a good time to plan one, thanks to reduced visitor numbers, killer last-minute deals on flights, and a chance to help out relief efforts.

Here鈥檚 what you need to know about visiting Hawaii right now.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Is Closed

You can鈥檛 visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park right now, which is closed indefinitely as a safety precaution. But if you were set on seeing a national park during your trip, 听on Maui is a fine substitute, and flights there from the Big Island run daily. Haleakala means House of the Sun, and watching the day break from atop the 10,023-foot summit is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Be sure to , as it can get crowded.

Kona and Hilo Remain Unaffected

If you鈥檝e already planned a trip to the Big Island, chances are you鈥檙e staying on the Kona Coast, the isle鈥檚 most popular tourist spot. About 100 miles away by road and literally on the opposite side of the island from the eruption, the region has reported no change in听air quality. Hilo, another popular tourist town, is closer to the volcano鈥攁pproximately 40 miles away鈥攂ut there鈥檚 still no impact from the volcano as of now.

You Can Get a Glimpse of the Eruption

The air space over the volcano is closed, so scenic helicopter tours are a no-go, and you can鈥檛 get close enough on the ground for a good look due to safety issues. But if you鈥檙e a lava chaser, you鈥檙e in luck. You can see the glow of lava splatter from the sea. departs from Hilo twice daily in a high-speed boat for 90-minute dawn and dusk tours of the volcanic coast on the easternmost tip of the island. Plus, the company is currently offering discounted rates of $150.

Getting There Is Cheap

All airports on the island of Hawaii are open and operating with no interruption. Plus, airlines have stellar discounts right now to remind people that the islands are open for business. has flights from Oakland or San Jose, California, to Kona for just $219 each way, and has deals from the mainland to the whole chain. If you already booked a ticket with them and want to reschedule or reroute, they're听also a one-time reservation change without extra fees.

Nearly All Lodging Remains Open

Those who rented a vacation home in the Puna area near the volcano or were planning to stay at Aqua-Aston Hospitality鈥檚 , located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, will need to make alternative plans. Aqua-Aston will happily offer a refund or transfer you to one of more than , including three on the Big Island, like the beachfront condos at (from $180). Otherwise, hotels around the Big Island would all love to have you.

You Can Help Relief Efforts

More than 1,800 residents of the Big Island have been evacuated from their homes, and local businesses are doing their part to help. You can chip in, too. At , a restaurant in the quiet town of Waimea, $2 from every dessert sold goes to the local nonprofit spearheading relief efforts. And if you book a tour online with , which offers a zip-line over a 250-foot waterfall in Hawaii鈥檚 Akaka Falls State Park, you can add a听donation that will go directly to a relief fund.

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The Pace of Formation had been floating around the brainstorm board at for the last听three years. When a weather window opened up听and lava became legally accessible they immediately jumped on a flight with very few logistics in place. Upon arriving in Hawaii, they were mesmerized by the ever-changing landscape and sheer heat that the lava produced. Their guide shared that they could听get as close as they could handle, which for him was when he'd singe the hair on his arm. In order to get the shots, they had to get听up close and personal with the lava, which hadn't existed only days before. They were walking on a brand new piece of earth.听Find more from Givot Media and and .

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Nestled in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the rim of the Big Island鈥檚 Kilauea Caldera, guests of enjoy views of the glowing crater and plumes of volcanic steam from their beds.

National Parks Centennial

100 reasons to love the parks (and a few things we’d improve)

The 33-room hotel dates back to 1846 but received a multimillion-dollar face-lift in 2013, including a new restaurant, the Rim. Now guests can hike to the Napau Trail and view the gaping Puu Oo eruption, then chow down on locally sourced delicacies like pan-seared Kona kampachi and Hilo-coffee-rubbed lamb. The next day, the Thurston Lava Tube is just a quick spin away on the lodge鈥檚 complimentary cruiser bikes. From $285.

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Patient zero was probably in Puna, a lush, wild district not far from Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii鈥檚 Big Island.听In 2010, the U.S. Forest Service and University of Hawaii started getting calls from distraught landowners in the area听about ohia trees on their properties. Ohias,听the听bright, flowered trees that听dominate听nearly 50 percent of the island-state鈥檚 forests, are known for their ability to thrive nearly anywhere across the archipelago. But a swath of them had withered mysteriously and died in a matter of weeks.

It perplexed听Flint Hughes, a Forest Service ecologist on the Big Island. Groves of aging ohia trees, which can live for 600 years, often die off together when they reach old age, but these were young trees that had turned brown and wilted. More calls started coming in from across Puna, all reporting the same problem: the ohias were dying, fast.

The Forest Service was stumped. It听wasn鈥檛 until 2013, when Hughes and another ecologist听checked听on a particularly resplendent patch of forest owned and protected by the private Kamehameha Schools system, that the severity of the matter became apparent. The two men had been there a month earlier checking on seedling mortality. But rather than gazing at a grove of healthy trees, they stood over an ohia graveyard. The听trees were alive a couple weeks ago,听Hughes remembers thinking.听鈥淭hat was the alarm going off.鈥�

Hawaii is a veritable bastion of sub tropic flora and fauna, and the Forest Service has addressed numerous ecological crises in the 57 years since the island cluster earned statehood. But whatever was killing the ohia threatened to leave much deeper wounds. The trees are a 鈥攖hey make up a huge majority of its canopy, and provide coverage for low-lying plants and food and habitat for honeycreeper birds鈥攁nd are central to native Hawaiian culture.

In ancient Hawaii, ohia was a byword for strength, sanctity, and beauty, says Sam 鈥極hu Gon, senior scientist and cultural advisor for the . Ancient Hawaiians used the tree鈥檚 strong wood in canoes, spears, and homes; it was also the premier material used in temples, offering platforms, and oracle towers. When an ohia tree was removed from the forest for carving into an idol of the warrior god, Ku, tradition demanded a human sacrifice. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a fundamental part of the intellectual foundation for Hawaii,鈥� says Gon. 鈥淵ou can tell the whole history of Hawaii with ohia,鈥� Hughes adds.

In 2012, diseased ohia covered about 2,300 acres in Puna. By 2014, dead ohia littered more than 15,000 acres of pristine rainforest. The disease was marching across the island of Hawaii, uncontained. Terrified the scourge would spread to other islands, the state government formed task forces and funded studies.

And yet, the disease remained a mystery. The very basics鈥攖he mechanism that causes the affliction鈥攚ere unknown. Was it caused by volcanic activity? Seismic damage to roots? No one knew. It was maddening, Hughes said. 鈥淭he trees that get hit by this become the breeding ground鈥攖hey become the vectors. They sustain the disease so it can kill other trees around it. It鈥檚 really diabolical. It鈥檚 a lot like other pathogens that impact humans,”听Hughes听says.听鈥淚 refer to it as 鈥榯ree Ebola鈥� in talks if I really want to get people鈥檚 attention.鈥�

For 70 million years, Hawaii existed in relative isolation. The plants and species that slowly arrived on this collection of volcanic rocks in the middle of the Pacific hitched rides on traveling birds or floated in on the waves. Over millennia, they evolved into completely unique species, unseen anywhere else on earth. The list of Darwinian creations on the islands includes the ohia tree.

It鈥檚 not surprising, then, that the arrival of man irrevocably听altered this tropical Eden. We introduced deer that trampled through the undergrowth; pigs that ate ground-nesting birds; weeds that choked out native plants; fire ants that roam the beach. The ecological history of Hawaii, especially in today鈥檚 globalized world, is a story of continual invasion.

鈥淲e鈥檙e the invasive species capital of the world, I鈥檓 sure,鈥� Hughes says, laughing. The cause of the disease, it seemed safe to assume, was another invader from beyond the breakers, imported by us. But still no one was sure just where it came from or how it got there.

By 2014, ecologists at the Forest Service and University of Hawaii tropical forest extension in Hilo听knew they needed help, says J.B.听Friday, an extension forester with the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Lisa Keith, a plant pathologist with the , got the call from a researcher at the university听who had found fungi in samples of dead ohia. Could she take a look? 鈥淲e needed to learn as much as we could as fast as we could,鈥� she says. She began by taking the samples and performing 鈥渢ree autopsies.鈥� The inside of the ohia were discolored and showed signs of infection. The killer, it appeared, was clogging the tree鈥檚 vascular system, shutting off its听water supply.

鈥淭here was a lot of stuff growing鈥� inside the trees, Keith says, 鈥渂ut we鈥檇 constantly find Ceratocystis fimbriata.鈥� A strain of C. fimbriata, a fungus and plant pathogen, was introduced to Hawaii听decades ago, but records showed it had No one had ever seen the fungus do something like this to ohia.

Keith introduced pure cultures of the fungus into healthy ohia seedlings and waited. For months, nothing happened. Then one day a symptom appeared鈥攂rowning leaves, discolored bark鈥攁nd within one to two weeks the plant was dead. The fungus was likely a new strain of C. fimbriata, Keith and researchers realized, never before seen in the wild. It turned out the fungus could incubate inside trees for years (two to five for mature ohia), reproducing and slowly colonizing the听ohia. 鈥淭he tree can survive for a while鈥攗ntil it鈥檚 finally had enough,鈥� Keith says.

The听finding听was dramatic: it鈥檚 exceedingly rare to discover a fungal strain attacking a new species (or 鈥渘ovel pathogenicity,鈥� to the scientists involved),听let alone to make the discovery in just a matter of months. As for the disease鈥檚 origin, no one could be sure, but experts assumed the fungus hadn鈥檛 originated in Hawaii.听Keith and her cohort called the plague but Hawaiians came to know it by a different name: Rapid Ohia Death.

Finally听the disease had a name and officials had some inkling of what they were dealing with. State agricultural and forest employees quickly alerted the public and, in the summer of 2015, they to prevent to the spread of Rapid Ohia Death, or ROD, from the Big Island .

鈥淥hia trees cover more than one million acres statewide and ohia is widely considered the most important forest tree in Hawaii,鈥� Suzanne Case, the head of the state鈥檚 Department of Land and Natural Resources, . 鈥淭hey are so important for protecting our forest watersheds that it鈥檚 necessary our approach to combating this disease involves the highest levels of government and include non-government agencies.鈥�

The fungi spreads like a virus, so transporting infected ohia wood to a new area could spell disaster. (In quarantine inspections of ohia wood leaving the island, Hughes says, about 60 percent is infected with ROD.) It is so tenacious, Keith and officials believe, the fungus can be transmitted through dirty tools, like chainsaws, and even woodland creatures or the wind, since the microscopic fungal spores need only a small wound to enter new trees.

If nothing else, Keith鈥檚 studies showed how aggressive the fungus was. The question became not How do we cure ROD?听Keith says, but 鈥淗ow can you slow its spread? How can you manage something like this on a large scale?鈥�

Greg Asner听is up in the air every morning by 7 a.m. hunting for ROD. The skies are clearest early, he says. A Carnegie Institute for Science researcher and Stanford professor, is in high demand around the world. Last year, Asner used laser-guided imaging spectroscopy to in California鈥檚 drought-starved forests.

In Hawaii, where he鈥檚 lived for over 30 years, Asner 听through the sky. He retrofitted a hulking twin turboprop Dornier Do 228鈥攁 utility plane with enough room for 28 passengers鈥攁nd packed its fuselage with high-tech imaging equipment to take the vital signs of foliage below. The silver and green 鈥淐arnegie Airborne Observatory鈥� can identify trees under 鈥減hysiological stress,鈥� i.e. starved for water and potentially suffering early stages of ROD. Until Asner took up the case in January, all the surveys of ohia on the Big Island had been distinctly low-tech鈥攅cologists either looked for browned trees in a helicopter or听trudging through thick forests, looking for dying trees.

The view from 6,000 feet has not been good.

The extent of the disease is 鈥渨orse than people think, even worse than Flint [Hughes] knows鈥攁nd Flint knows better than anyone,” Asner says.听鈥淚鈥檝e worked on invasive species for 20 years,听and I鈥檝e just never seen anything this virulent.鈥�

But Asner, in his flying laboratory, isn鈥檛 just counting the dead. He is mapping out where trees are surviving the fungus. It鈥檚 part of a nascent, last-ditch plan from Keith,听Hughes, Friday, and their respective departments to help the trees save themselves. It鈥檚 an idea, Asner says, that he can鈥檛 get out of his head: 鈥淲e go out there, find the survivors, direct Flint鈥檚 field team to go collect seeds, then get Lisa [Keith] in there to find out physiologically why there might be resistance in there.鈥�

鈥淛ust like when the Bubonic plague was going through Europe and people were dying by the millions, there were those that pulled through,鈥� the Nature Conservancy鈥檚 Gon says. 鈥淭hey were the progenitors of the population after.鈥� University of Hawaii conservationists are already for a seed bank,听in preparation for the tree鈥檚 potential extinction.

The plan to find the survivors won鈥檛 take effect until summer, at the earliest. Until then, Hughes and the teams of scientists working on ROD have their work cut out for them. In January, officials confirmed the disease had spread to 听and near听, home of the Ironman championships. If the disease continues unabated, it will redraw the landscape of Volcanoes National Park and beyond.

鈥淲orst case scenario is that it spreads statewide and it decimates all of our ohia forests,鈥� Robert Hauff, forest health coordinator at the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, told reporters in December. 鈥淚t's a pretty bleak picture.鈥�

There have been some successes, though. The fungus has so far been contained to the Big Island, which seems to experts like a minor miracle, and a public awareness campaign has residents chipping in to prevent the spread and protect one of the island鈥檚 most storied trees.

In the beautiful grove of ohia trees where Hughes first realized the severity of the disease four years ago, ROD has taken its toll. The Kamehameha Schools, which owns the forest, understood the importance of the ohia, Hughes says. Before the outbreak, the schools'听land manager was working to protect the forest from another invader. 鈥淭hey were in the process of putting in a very expensive feral ungulate-proof fence around the entire parcel鈥� to keep wild boar and other non-native hooved animals from wrecking the ecosystem, Hughes says. Today, the state-of-the-art fence stands around an area decimated by ROD, protecting nothing.听

After the mechanism of ROD was finally unraveled, the Kamehameha land manager was devastated. “He just about broke down in tears,” Hughes says.听Had his fencing spread the fungus? Was he to blame? The Forest Service veteran听did his best to assuage the land manager鈥檚 guilt. The disease was completely absent听four years ago, he said. No one could have known.

Last month, in hunting for the source of the fungus, Keith and her colleagues identified what they think may be its听origin in Hawaii. The pathologists have found strains of the deadly fungus in a South American听species of ornamental vine鈥攖he kind you'd install in your garden to give it that “tropical” feel鈥攊mported and听sold in nurseries on the Big Island. It's just another plant humans have brought to the Aloha State, Hughes says.听鈥淲e鈥檝e been playing Russian Roulette with our ecosystem for decades, if not centuries,鈥� he says.

鈥淚n terms of blame,” Hughes says, “we are to blame, unfortunately.鈥�

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