erousseau11

I second Kendallg's suggestion about dropping off the wife and young ones (mine were 12, 9 and 6) as close to the hiking start area as possible. If you do not, you will add anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile trip for everyone (which is really tiring on the way back to the car). I didn't do it and could kick myself for not thinking of it at the time and for the guidebooks not mentioning it also. Also, do get to the trail area at 5:30 to begin your hike. It makes a world of difference to be able to do at the initial hike in the daylight (its not the end of the world if you can't) but it will put everyone more at ease. Good luck driving back if you plan on doing the sunset hike though because it is a strenous hike (especially if you have to tote little ones occasionally). Also, remember that they advise you to take 2 to 3 liters of water per person on the hike (I personally would reduce that recommendation for a NIGHT hike to 1 to 1.5 liters per person). I had to carry all of ours (we took in 10 liters) and it added to my exhaustion. We stayed on the volcano the night of our hike and I could barely make it to the bed to fall asleep. Good luck, but it is worth every drop of sweat to see the sight. Our hike, including a stop of 1 hour past the lava flowing into the ocean) took 4.5 hours (3.5 hours of hiking and occasional stopping to soak it all in or soak in some liquids). Do go past the lava flow, because the better view is from past the vents (which adds about .5 to .75 of a mile to each way of your hike) but it is much more dramatic from that angle. Enjoy.

Conlet

We are planning to be on BI in late Sept. and would like to hike to the lava flows. I realize it may be in a different location by then, or not even flowing! I am 65, with some knee problems and my husband is 72, in great shape. We are concerned about the difficulty level of the hike - any comments or suggestions would be helpful.

Nancy03

erousseau11: What do you mean by saying "Do go past the lava flow?" I'm visualizing you stepping over to the other side of the flow and I know that can't be what you mean.

Grcxx3

Hope I am not too late to answer your question!!!! We returned to the Hilton at about 6 because we had dinner reservations at 7. The road was fine, but my husband doesn't really like driving at night.

cindysphinx

Just got back a few weeks ago. The round trip hike from the ranger station to the active flow was 1 hour, 47 minutes for our group of 2 adults, 2 kids ages 7-12. We were going as fast as we possibly could because family members were waiting for us.

We wore running shoes and had no trouble. The ground is a bit hotter than normal, but it won't melt your running shoes. I'm glad we wore long pants, though. I stumbled at one point and would have skinned my knee were it not for my jeans.

"Going past the active flow" means you basically hike to the flow. Then you can stop, or you can actually walk over the top of the flow. Then you can look back at the flow as it enters the ocean. We did this.

We did not go at night. I cannot imagine being out there in the pitch black with only a flashlight to guide me. In daylight, you can see far enough ahead to know if you've chosen an easy path or a hard one. Also, there are some fun pics to take.

If you're less athletic, you still might want to try it. You don't have to go all the way -- and there is an area where the lava crossed the road where speed signs are still visible!

Do pack plenty of food for the day trip. Finding a place to eat on the northern route home can be tricky.

ww

We're going to the Volcano National Park in a couple of weeks and hope to see the lava flow that is supposed to be flowing abundantly in the recent months. Where is the hike/trail to see the lava flow these days? We went about three years ago and we hiked from the end of "Chain of Craters Road".

mstraveler

Pmode, could you say where the two Tex's are? I know one is in Honokaa near the 240 29 junction, but would appreciate knowing about the other.

lia_b

Just got back from BI on Friday. We drove to the Volcano on Monday and there was no lava flow to the ocean that day. WE were willing to go back so we checked Tuesday and Wednesday and still nothing. We were able to see lava flowing from the side of the volcano while standing at the end of the Chain of Craters Road. We did hike the lava flow for about a mile hoping to see more but came back when we saw nothing. We got there around 7:00 p.m and hiked back in the dark. You definitely need a flashlight, it gets very dark and there were some rather large holes on the path. There are some reflectors to help guide you. Keep in mind that the walk from where you park you car to the where the hike begins could be a mile and one half on a paved road. And look up during the walk back, the stars are amanzing there. And yes bring food to eat on your way home. It was awesome, my kids are still talking about it.