Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park includes two of the five shield volcanoes on the Big Island: Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. The highly fluid basalt magma from inside these active volcanoes steadily flow down the sides as slow-moving lava. This results in a broad and gently sloped shield of black basalt. Mauna Loa is the planet’s largest active volcano by both mass and volume and has been erupting for 700,000 years. Kīlauea only surfaced above sea level 100,00 years ago. It last erupted in 2024 continues to spew lava in 2025. Its lava flows over part of the coastal highway on its journey to the ocean.

MUST SEES

Halemaʻumaʻu

In Hawaiian mythology, Pele (goddess of volcanoes) inhabits this pit crater on Kilauea. Before Halemaʻumaʻu’s collapse in 2018, you could watch the reflection of lava in the smoke and flare-ups against the sky.

You can determine the lava’s temperature by color. Red is about 1300° and orange is 1650°.

Kīlauea Iki Crater

You can hike along Kīlauea’s caldera floor. The active shield volcano is between 210,000 to 280,000 years old and emerged above sea level 100,000 years ago. As of 2025, it’s still erupting and spewing lava.

Mauna Loa

The slopes of Mauna Loa have different colors and shapes. The slick lava tubes are shiny, black and silver, somewhat like dark liquid mercury. It also looks like hot porridge that has boiled over and bubbled and then instantly flash frozen.

OTHER VOLCANOES

Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea is the world’s tallest mountain although over half of its mass is underwater.  This 12.6-mile (out and back) hike climbs 4,600 feet past red volcanic rocks and cinder cones. On the top is a ring of observatories.

Haleakalā

Haleakalā means “house of the sun” referring to the demigod Maui’s lassoing of the sun to provide long bright days. You can drive to the top of the giant shield volcano and observe volcanic cinder cones rising above the clouds.

Diamond Head

Diamond Head holds a commanding position on Oahu’s coastline. Hawaiians named it Lēʻahi for its resemblance to a tuna’s forehead. British sailors mistook calcite crystals by the beach for diamonds. The volcano blew its lid 300,000 years ago.

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