Mauna Loa (Big Island)

The guidebooks all say that there's nothing like being on a volcano and that nothing can give you an idea of what it's like
...and they're right


Volcanoes National Park is a truly amazing place. Steam coming out through long cracks in the ground, huge volcanic craters and desolate landscapes marked only by different flows of lava. To say nothing of the big fireworks of a major eruption or a flow of molten lava down the mountainside streaming into the ocean.

I spent five nights and that was barely enough to explore Mauna Loa. When measured from its base on the ocean floor, Mauna Loa is the tallest mountain in the world. OK, OK. Mt Everest is the highest but Mauna Loa is still a massive mountain that dominates the topography of the Big Island.

The park is also serves as an observatory for what is the most active volcano on earth, helping scientists understand and predict volcanic activity. For me it was a wonderful education not only about the geology of Hawaii but of volcanism and plate tectonics worldwide. There were lots of displays, talks and videos to help teach about the geologic and cultural importance of Mauna Loa.