How to Visit Volcanoes National Park

Drive the Crater Rim Drive to the summit of Kilauea volcano. This 11-mile road goes through diverse environments, such as a tropical rain forest, the desert and the caldera floor. There are scenic stops along the way as well.

Visit the Kilauea Visitor Center near the entrance to the park to learn more about the volcano. The center hosts a short film about the volcano and exhibits will help you appreciate the various environments around the park.

Hike on the trails that cover over 150 miles within the park. You can go for short hikes or longer trips into the back country areas. Kilauea's summit trails should be hiked for anyone able to do so.

Take some of the scenic drives in the park in addition to the Crater Rim Drive. The Chain of Craters Road takes visitors to the coast. The 40-mile road ends at the lava flow. Shorter drives will take you to other points of interest.

Learn about volcanoes and the equipment that scientists used to study them at the Jaggar Museum. The overlook at the museum also offers a great overlook of the summit caldera.

Join a ranger led program. Programs vary from short lectures at the visitor center to longer hikes to see Hawaiian petroglyphs, lava tubes or lava trees. There are also "after dark" programs several times a month.

Photograph the sunrise over the Kilauea caldera. Head to the west side of the caldera near the Jaggar Museum. Sunrises are better than sunsets since the latter is screened by Mauna Loa.