How to see VNP with parts closed?

[gargoyle999]

Since parts of VNP are closed it seems you can no longer drive full circle. Is it better to go down one "side" until you can't go further then backtrack and go down the other side and backtrack to where you enter or just do one side or the other?

[einsteinsmom]

Depends on your plan. I would stop at the info center first and then you can go to the Jaggar Museum, it looks a long way on the map but it is only about 10 minutes. That is as far as you can go on that side. Then you can go back and down toward the lava tube and the Chain of Craters road. Driving from Jaggar to the lava tube.....maybe 20 minutes?probably more like 15.

Chain of Craters road takes a fair bit longer I believe. We did not do it since we had just done the Kilauea Iki hike.

kristy

[sceptic]

The "circle" really isn't that long. If you get out a map of Kilauea (I'll wait... here's one to look at:

http://www.us-national-parks.net/images/kilauea.jpg )

 

You see the Visitor Center, and to the left the Jaggar Museum. The distance between the two is about three miles, tops. Just a few minutes driving, in other words.

 

the road beyond Jaggar museum that loops by the Halemaumau overlook is closed, all the way to the junction with the Chain of Craters road. You just backtrack the few miles to the visitor center and turn right towards THurston Lava Tube, Kilauea Iki, and again to the Chain of Craters road.

 

This closed road portion adds maybe five minutes to your driving. Absolutely no big deal. Yeah. the Halemaumau overlook is closed, which is a bummer, but considering it's where several hundred tons of caustic gas and lava shards are emitted every day I don't think it's a place to hang out.

 

(This is all based on normal trade wind directions. Occasionally the winds shift and the plume from Halemaumau is blown in the opposite direction, and can briefly close access to sections of the park. This is so uncommon that I wouldn't be too concerned about it.)

 

Anyway, just about everything else in the park is still routinely open, and the chain of craters road is a very special drive. Enjoy!

[gargoyle999]

Ok thanks! It "looks" a lot longer so I thought it was going to be half hour backtrack on one side and another on the other. :)

 

I also thought that I had read that Chain of Craters Road was closed but I think I was confusing that with Crater Rim Drive being closed.

 

I think we'll drive down to the Jagger Museum, backtrack then head over toward the lava tube and Chain of Craters Road. Drive down as far as we can on Chain of Craters Road then backtrack our way out!

 

Is it worth hiking at the end of Chain of Craters Road to go look from some lava or should we just turn around once we get to the lava across the road and head back right away?

[sceptic]

Re hiking to see lava at the end of the road...

 

Well, the end of the road is the end of the road because it's buried by lava. It's not molten, having flowed to that location more than a few years ago. but it's amazing to walk on for a while.

 

As far as the molten stuff, if you're going in the next few weeks it is HIGHLY unlikely you will be able to hike to molten lava. Currently, the tube system is putting out lava far on the other side of the covered road, and nowhere close to the ocean. sad to say, I'd guess the actual flows (as of today) are a good 10+ miles from the end of the road, high up on the pali. It is actually closer (but not by much!) to the other side, at Kalapana. But even from there it is essentially inaccessible.

 

Can it change? Sure. but for lava to flow on the west side, at the end of the Chain of Craters road, there will have to be a dramatic alteration in the conduit system to the Pu'u O'o area. It gets into these semi-stable periods where lava either flows to the east (like now) or to the west of PU'u O'o, and these periods generally last for over a year.

 

Can it change tomorrow? Sure, but frankly it's far more likely that it will simply establish another lava tube system and begin an ocean entry near the Kalapana side. It is nature, of course, and it does what it wants.

[CruisingGoddess]

Does anyone know how long the drive is from Crater Rim Rd. to the end of Chain of Craters Rd?

 

Thanks in advance!

[kapoho2]

The drive down Chain of Craters Road usually takes between 30 and 45 minutes....depending on how many times you stop, etc.

[gargoyle999]

Re hiking to see lava at the end of the road...

 

Well, the end of the road is the end of the road because it's buried by lava. It's not molten, having flowed to that location more than a few years ago. but it's amazing to walk on for a while.

 

 

Ok thanks! We'll just checkout what there is to see along the road and the

at the point where the lava flowed across. Won't go looking for any live stuff. :)

[einsteinsmom]

I think I read that it is 19 miles long?

[CruisingGoddess]

The drive down Chain of Craters Road usually takes between 30 and 45 minutes....depending on how many times you stop, etc.

 

Thanks!

[kapoho2]

Of course, then you have to drive back up Chain of Craters Road!!

[vbmom87]

Does anyone know how long the drive is from Crater Rim Rd. to the end of Chain of Craters Rd?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I had some brochures mailed to me by the National Park and they say to allow three hours round trip, depending on how often you stop and how far you hike. They give the actual drive time to the end of the road as 45 minutes.

[ddaz]

Has anyone taken Hwy 130 to Kalapana, the town which was partially destroyed by lava? According to the gohawaii website, this area is now a volcano and potential lava flow viewing site. If you've gone, do you recall how long does it take to drive to the end of Hwy 130 from the VNP visitor's center?

Thanks

ddaz

GBY

[kapoho2]

Driving to Kalapana at the end of HWY. 130 takes about an hour from VNP. There is not much going on in Kalapana right now. This was where folks hiked out after dark to see the lava flowing into the ocean. But, presently, the lava is not flowing into the ocean. There is a new black sand beach there (not swimmable) and a small restaurant.

[Nancyquilts]

While you are at the info center at VNP, walk west (to the left as you are facing the center) to go see the Art store. They have many beautiful local handicrafts, and it's only a few steps away.

[kapoho2]

Nancyquilts....I LOVE that art gallery. There have been so many times when I have found that "perfect little gift" in that store. And, it always feels good to support a local artist.