Volcano trip from Kona w/6 year old
 

Hi! My son and I will be staying in Kona the last week of Aug. and I'd like to include a trip to the volcano. We've already booked a condo for the entire trip - so staying near the volcano one night isn't an option. I understand that it is an approx. 2 1/2 hour drive from Kona. Is it worth the trip for a 6 year old? Any suggestions of neat stops along the way (to make the drive more bearable for him). What is the best time of day to visit? I suspect that the hike to the lava might be too difficult for him in the dark. Can you see the lava from any distant more-accessible vantage points? If we can't see the lava - what would be the other highlights? The lava tube? Anything else? Thanks for your help!

I don't know how much a 6 year old will get out of the volcano park. There are some impressive sights to see, but kids that age generally prefer hands-on rather than just looking. The Thurston lava tube is neat, and it is an easy walk. Yes, the hike out to the current lava flow will likely be too far for him to walk (over a mile), and unfortunately, the only other way to see the lava flow is from the air. You can do a helicopter or air tour from the Kona area.

The black sand beach at Puna lu'u' is worth a stop along your drive if you take the southern route. There are often sea turtles in the water, and it is a nice, wide beach.

Go, go, go. He probably won't want to make the hike out to the lava (and, since it is a 40 minute drive from the visitors center, plus hiking time back and forth, you won't really have the time). But the visitors center has a lot to offer: a movie, live talks, 3-d maps, etc., that are the kind of thing that can spark a child's interest in geology for life. The lava tube is worth seeing,(a very short hike), and the drive past the steam vents is pretty impressive. We also walked across the dormant crater, which was awe-inspiring, but a little long for the younger ones (takes about two hours at a slow pace.)

Try to prepare for the excursion by teaching him some volcano terminology and concepts in advance. The National Park Service site has links to all national parks, including Volcanoes. They also have a day-to-day update on lava flows, and often post pictures of the recent flows. It's a great preparation.

We (husband, myself and our two sons who are 16 and 18) just returned from Hawaii and I am with patg - go! There are lots of things to see (lava tube, steam vents, crater), short hikes to take, etc. that my kids would have loved when they were 6.

It was quite a long hike (but relatively easy, even after dark - we hiked to the flow during daylight, and back after dark) to actually see the lava flow. I saw several children under 6 who made the hike, but you, of course, would have to judge how your son would do and whether it is worth it. If you think the hike after dark would be too difficult, you could do it during the day - it was pretty impressive during the day too. My sons thought seeing the lava flow was the best thing we did during our entire 2 weeks in Hawaii!

Along the way we stopped at the black sand beach - saw sea turtles up close. The Place of Refuge is another place you could stop on the way.

Perhaps you could arrange your driving so that your son could sleep at least one way of the trip.

Also consider an overnight even though you have a week in the condo. We were at the Hilton for a week and packed an overnight bag for a trip around the island and then Volcanoes. We LOVED the change - especially in climate and pace. The night near the park was one of the best parts of the trip. It may be a relatively small price to pay to get a lot more out of your trip to the Big Island. It was for us!

I would definitely go to the park, but I probably wouldn't take a 6 year old hiking on the lava after dark. It was almost to much for me in the daylight, and I hike all the time. The lava you have to walk over is very rough, there is no trail, and after dark, no light. But the visit is well worth while even if you don't hike out to where the lava is flowing.