The spectacular lava flows from Kilauea at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are highly visible once again per the USGS photo above. A new eruption in Kīlauea caldera started at 9:30 pm yesterday (December 20), which has since been feeding lava into a growing lake and belching steam into the sky. The best place to keep track of what’s happening with the flow is via the USGS Twitter feed.
Keep reading for many tips including what is open and what is not, as updates are being released.
$72 flights. See the lava flow in person, which we have done, and highly recommend!
As of this morning, you can come to see the lava flow yourself. This is an experience beyond words, and something you will simply never forget. Not only that, but right now you can visit for under $100 each way on seven routes from Hawaiian Air.
Below you’ll see our own experiences. If you’ve ever seen the lava flow before, please share your experiences too.
The latest on Hawaii Volcanoes National Park eruption.
As of this morning, one of the 3 fissures from last night’s dramatic eruption has stopped flowing. The other two remain active, as lava fills Halemaumau crater and volcanic glass (called Pele’s hair and tears) and gasses continue to spew.
“Pele’s hair” is the volcanic glass fibers formed by the molten lava flow. It is often carried by wind (which we expect this week) and can travel miles from the source. These fibers are sharp, brittle, and can cut into the skin.
“Pele’s tears” are pieces of cooled lava drops that are formed as airborne particles of molten eruption fuse into tear-shaped pieces of volcanic glass. These black tears are often seen at the end of Pele’s hair.
Visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Lava Flow.
If you choose to visit, be sure to refer to their website for current updates. Visitor services are limited but most of the park is open. The website does not yet reflect the latest information.
1. Trails are open but hours have not been updated.
2. Bring a flashlight in case you return in dark conditions.
3. Restrooms are open but limited.
4. There are no park intrepreters.
5. Bring your own food and water. No potable water is available in the park.
6. There are no other services at this time.
7. There are no guided hikes.
8. If the parking lots are full, plan for another day.
9. Large busses are not allowed in the park.
Prior Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Prior Lava Flow From the Water.
A few years ago, we were able to sail by a prior lava flow from a ship, as you can see in this Beat of Hawaii photo. It was a completely moving experience to witness Pele as we watched, listened, and smelled her power.
Featured image and GIF courtesy of USGS.
Updated 12/21/20.
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Jim R. says
My luck…this happened the day after I left. Hopefully it will still be flowing in a few months, when I get back. I did not get enough video this last trip. Hope to get more in Feb/March…
Mahalo for the update guys!
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Jim.
We look forward to catching up with you. One of these times will work.
Aloha.
Roy H says
Aloha
This year while on the Big Island, can’t help but notice a good many road repairs on the windward side of the island. Mostly in the volcanic areas.
Mahalo Guys
Yvonne W says
I wanted to give Hawaii two big thumbs up for the way our flight there was handled. We had our safelflight info uploaded and we breezed through the first check point, as well as the covid testing. Even more amazing was how they handled my 22 year old son’s special exemption. He had developed Covid 2 1/2 weeks prior to his flight and they told him he would be testing positive for up to 3 months. But he was told that if he got a report from his doctor saying that he was symptom-free and fully recovered 11 days after his positive test, he could get an exemption from the attorney general’s office. They expedited his request so that he could join us here on the Big Island. We were all very grateful and impressed with the way the attorney generals office and the Big Island checkers handled his entry into Hawaii.
Amber P says
Any word on what the next island will be called? I read the island forming under the ocean is now larger than the Big Island. Holy moses!!
Ed C says
On one of our first visits to the Big Island, lava was flowing in a very accessible and visible location, and had been flowing for some weeks, so we planned to see it at the end of our trip. But, the visible flow stopped before we could see it! Lesson learned. When we were there in the summer of 2018, we didn’t take any chances on missing the eruption, so we booked a helicopter tour. I now know that helicopter noise was an issue for residents, and it was sad to see the destruction to so many people’s homes, but to witness the power of that flow was amazing.
Eve G. says
I was able to walk out to the flowing lava back in 2004 after about a 3 mile hike – totally awesome! I’ve wanted to bring my husband back to see it since then, but the BI trips I’ve made since then have always been with other people – not him. Now that it’s flowing again, I’m hoping to get him out there soon!
Doug E. says
I was lucky to have seen the eruption by cruise ship a few years back. Awesome to say the least,
Aloha
Casey O says
Aloha! Hopefully Pele’s return is a good sign that Hawaii is turning the corner. Some Hawaiian normalcy.
Mahalo for all you do.
Shaun R says
We rescheduled our Big Island trip for July 2021 and I’ve always wanted to see an active lave flow….but just happy to be able to come visit and take in the aloha if it’s stopped by then.
Kathy says
We are due to go to the Big Island in July also. Let’s hope the Covid problems settle down by then! Aloha!
art says
Glad to see that you took the NCL Cruise. I took the same cruise a little over a year ago, about 4 months after it was refurbished. The ship was great and a very nice staff. The food was great, we upgraded to their plan to use the upgraded restaurants instead of the basic restaurants, we heard a lot of complaints from others that they were disappointed with the basic restaurants.
The other thing that really disappointed me is, I like to do landscape photography and was looking forward to photographing the POLY COAST line on the last day, so we got a balcony stateroom and were told when booking that the ship would go up the coast on one side then turn around and go back down the coast on the other side so that both sides of the ship would get a great view of the coastline. So I setup my camera equipment on the balcony, we were on the Port Side (which the crew told me would be the second side to view the coast line). When we went down the coastline the Starboard side of the ship, we went up top and used our iphone and point ad shoot cameras to get some basic shots.
Then when the ship turned around it did not go down the coast as we had been told but went directly out to sea for the trip to Honolulu. I was upset that I was not able to get good photos of the Poly coast after being told that they would do it on both sides of the ship. I asked one of the officers why they did it that way, and he told me that they always go out to sea on the turn around, he said that you can still see the coast from the Port side its just that you are no longer as close to the shore and it is fading in the distance, but they consider that being able to see the coast from both sides of the ship.
Did you folks notice this same thing on your trip that the ship does not go down the coast on both sides? I find it very disappointing that they tell people that they go down the coast on both sides and must be doing this to sell the balconies on both sides of the ship.
In your review I hope you bring up this poor way of defining how they view the Poly coast line
Beat of Hawaii says
Thanks Art.
That cruise has never “turned around” after the Napali as far as we know (having done it before) but has always gone out to sea gradually from there. Sorry someone (agent or NCL) didn’t explain that to you and we will mention sides of the ship when we next review it. We did find in talking with agents that they weren’t super knowledgeable about certain aspects of the cruise, such as this.
Aloha.
Guy Fowler says
Aloha,
I saw you replied to my email I sent you about a week ago–Thank You. However, just when I saw you had replied–my computer quit. It is back up, but I cannot find your email to me so I can read it.
I don’t know if it is possible or not, but can you please see if you can find it and send it to me again?
Mahalo for your time.
Guy
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Guy.
No problem. This link should get you right to your comment and our reply. https://beatofhawaii.com/hawaiian-airlines-may-be-nearing-pilot-strike/comment-page-4/#comment-23092
Aloha.