Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Getting Here and Around

There are a handful of dining options, a couple of stores, and gas stations available in Volcano, so most of your needs should be covered. If you can't find what you're looking for, Hilo is about a 35-minute drive away, and the Keeau grocery store and fast-food joints are 25 minutes away.

Bring a fleece or a sweater if you plan to stay the night in Volcano; temperatures drop at night and mornings are usually cool and misty. One of the main reasons people choose to stay the night in Volcano is to see the dramatic glow at the summit vent and to drive to the coast to see the lava flow into the sea. Make sure you have enough gas to get down to the flow and back up. The entrance to Volcanoes National Park is about one minute from Volcano village, but the drive down is a good 30 minutes. Remember that you'll be coming back around midnight, long after the rangers have gone home.

Speed limits in this area are low for a reason. Paved roads can become unpaved within a few feet; heed the speed limits so that you don't go flying onto a bumpy dirt road at 70 mph. There are also occasionally farm kids riding around on ATVs (and some of them might be going way faster than you're allowed to). It's best to be able to dodge them without ending up crashing into a lava rock.