Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Visitor Services
Banking Services
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is in a rural setting, and the amenities that towns may have to offer, such as banking, are far removed. Automated teller machines (ATM) are located at Kīlauea Military Camp and in Volcano Village, but the nearest full-service banks are in Pāhala, Kea'au and Hilo, 25 to 30 miles (40 to 48 km) away.
Lodging, Dining and Camping
Please see "Lodging & Dining" on pages 30—33 and "Camping" on page 46 for facilities available in the park.
Emergencies
Call 911 for emergency fire, paramedic or police assistance, or to report accidents or injuries. Emergency 911 phones are available at the Ka'ū Desert and Mauna Loa trailheads as well as at the Pu'u Loa turnout and Kulanaokuaiki Campground. There are no doctors stationed in the park. Report all accidents to a park ranger.
Film Processing
One-hour and 24-hour film processing services are found in Hilo and Kailua-Kona, where video camera rentals are also available. The Volcano House gift shops sell film and other related products.
Gas Stations
There are no service stations located in the park. Gasoline and very limited automotive services are available at two stores in Volcano Village, just off Route 11 on the way to Hilo, one mile northeast of the park.
Gift Shop
The Volcano House operates two gift shops, the Curio Shop and Crater View Gallery. The Curio Shop offers a large variety of reasonably priced gift items including Volcano T-shirts, sweaters, souvenirs, macadamia nuts, film, as well as groceries for one-stop convenience shopping. The Crater View Gallery showcases Hawaiian crafts including woodwork, jewelry, glassware, Aloha shirts, books, prints and Hawaiian music CDs. Both shops provide shipping services.
To better serve visitors who travel down the Chain of Craters Road to view the flowing lava, or for the more adventurous who are hiking in for a closer view, Volcano House in conjunction with the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park opened the Road's End convenience store in early 2005. Water, camera, film, flashlights, rain gear, snacks and ice cold drinks are now available at the lava viewing parking area. Don't miss the unique opportunity to walk on a lava flow and see molten lava intermittently pouring into the Pacific Ocean.
Local Crafts
The Volcano House Crater View Gallery, overlooking the breathtaking Kīlauea Crater, displays numerous works of local artisans. The immense beauty of the crater is reflected in this showcase of original handmade Hawaiian crafts.
More than 200 artisans exhibit their creative works at the Volcano Art Center Gallery, located in the historic Volcano House, which was built in 1877. The Volcano Art Center Gallery, established in 1974, is adjacent to the Kīlauea Visitor Center. The Volcano Art Center operates under a special arrangement with the NPS and is a nonprofit educational and cultural organization. -
Visit the Volcano Art Center Gallery and experience an extension of the Park's Interpretive Program. Discover fine art representing Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park created by local artists. The center showcases the finest examples of painting, sculpture, photography, bronzeware, ceramics, textile arts and basketry, which are available for purchase. Displays also share artist insights into their relationships with this active volcanic landscape, Hawaiian ecosystems and Hawaiian heritage. Hula and revolving shows are staged monthly featuring a particular artist or theme. A visit to the Volcano Art Center Gallery will inspire you to learn more about the park and Hawaiian culture.
Lost and Found
The park's lost and found department is located at the Kīlauea Visitor Center. Items may be reported or turned in to any park ranger, at one of the visitor centers or at Volcano House.
Medical and Dental Services
First-aid facilities are located at the Kīlauea Visitor Center and the Eruption Information Center at the end of Chain of Craters Road. The nearest hospital is located in Pāhala, 25 miles (40 km) southwest of the park. The nearest full-service hospital is in Hilo.
Pets
The nearest kennel is located in Hilo, which is 30 miles (48 km) northeast of the park.
Picnic and Camping Supplies
Volcano House can provide picnic box lunches or, alternatively, you can buy groceries and camping supplies in the shops in Volcano Village.
Post Office
A post office is located at Kīlauea Military Camp, a Joint Services Recreation Center, located one mile west of Kīlauea Visitor's Center. It is open weekdays from 7:15 to 11:30 a.m. and from noon to 3:15 p.m. The Volcano Main post office is located on Old Volcano Highway and is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon.
Public Phones
Public phones are located at Kīlauea Visitor Center, Volcano House Hotel, Jaggar Museum and N¯āmakanipaio Campground.
Religious Services
On Sunday, Protestant services are conducted at the Kīlauea Military Camp Chapel at 8 a.m. Catholic mass is held there at 11:15 a.m. Other services are available in nearby towns.
Transportation
Most visitors come by car, but you may also take a chartered bus tour by making arrangements with various tour operators based in Hilo and Kailua-Kona. The only public transportation to the park is offered by Hele On Bus Company. Service is offered once a day Monday through Friday only. The bus departs the Hilo downtown terminal at 2:40 p.m., arriving at Kīlauea Visitor's Center at 3:45 p.m. The bus departs from the Kīlauea Visitor's Center parking area at 8:10 a.m., arriving in Hilo at 9:20 a.m. The cost is $2.25 one way. Hele On can be reached at (808) 961-8744.
Hawaii Volcanoes In Depth
News from the Parks
Park Service defends actions after finding arsenic at Fort Reno
May 15, 2008 - 12:28pm
The National Park Service was fending off uncomfortable questions Wednesday after it waited 14 hours to tell the public that one of Northwest’s most popular parks was potentially tainted with poison. The Park Service and U.S. Park Police swooped into Fort Reno Park early Wednesday, moving out pedestrians and throwing up storm fences. Officials said satellite pictures from the U.S. Geological Survey revealed pockets of arsenic on the ground that were nearly twice federal safety standards. The park has been closed to visitors until the arsenic can be removed, officials said. There was no timetable for reopening. It took until 9 a.m. for federal officials to call the D.C. Department of Health. The D.C. fire department wasn’t notified until around 1 p.m., a spokesman told The Examiner.
May 15, 2008 - 12:28pm
The National Park Service was fending off uncomfortable questions Wednesday after it waited 14 hours to tell the public that one of Northwest’s most popular parks was potentially tainted with poison. The Park Service and U.S. Park Police swooped into Fort Reno Park early Wednesday, moving out pedestrians and throwing up storm fences. Officials said satellite pictures from the U.S. Geological Survey revealed pockets of arsenic on the ground that were nearly twice federal safety standards. The park has been closed to visitors until the arsenic can be removed, officials said. There was no timetable for reopening. It took until 9 a.m. for federal officials to call the D.C. Department of Health. The D.C. fire department wasn’t notified until around 1 p.m., a spokesman told The Examiner.
Vets get heroes' welcome
May 15, 2008 - 12:27pm
A crowd of hundreds whooped, clapped and waved signs and American flags as one by one, about 100 World War II veterans from Simpsonville and across the Upstate descended the escalators on their return to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.The group, part of Honor Flight Simpsonville, returned May 7 from a daylong trip to Washington, D.C., where they visited the National World War II Memorial and other historic sites.Honor Flight Simpsonville, a project announced by the city of Simpsonville on Veterans Day last November, flew the veterans, guardians and a doctor on a chartered U.S. Airways flight to the nation's capital. The flight returned to Greenville at 7:45 p.m. after a day that started with a 9 a.m. flight and included visits to Arlington National Cemetery and the National Mall.
May 15, 2008 - 12:27pm
A crowd of hundreds whooped, clapped and waved signs and American flags as one by one, about 100 World War II veterans from Simpsonville and across the Upstate descended the escalators on their return to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.The group, part of Honor Flight Simpsonville, returned May 7 from a daylong trip to Washington, D.C., where they visited the National World War II Memorial and other historic sites.Honor Flight Simpsonville, a project announced by the city of Simpsonville on Veterans Day last November, flew the veterans, guardians and a doctor on a chartered U.S. Airways flight to the nation's capital. The flight returned to Greenville at 7:45 p.m. after a day that started with a 9 a.m. flight and included visits to Arlington National Cemetery and the National Mall.
Young guides give free tours, but welcome tips
May 15, 2008 - 12:26pm
With a little bit of rap (about King George III, of all people: "He was a meany and we were so teeny"), a healthy but not overbearing dose of history and a whole lot of nerve, two recent college graduates are rattling the genteel world of Washington tour guides. Ben Hindman and Brody Davis are giving tours for free. Working only for tips, the two friends in bright orange caps are attracting tourists who find themselves on the National Mall knowing little more than that the really tall one has to do with Washington; the squat, columned one is where Forrest Gump liked to hang out; and the one with the dome is where the president lives, or something like that. "A lot of tourists really don't know anything about Washington or history," Hindman says. "We thought we could entertain people and get them interested in history at the same time."
May 15, 2008 - 12:26pm
With a little bit of rap (about King George III, of all people: "He was a meany and we were so teeny"), a healthy but not overbearing dose of history and a whole lot of nerve, two recent college graduates are rattling the genteel world of Washington tour guides. Ben Hindman and Brody Davis are giving tours for free. Working only for tips, the two friends in bright orange caps are attracting tourists who find themselves on the National Mall knowing little more than that the really tall one has to do with Washington; the squat, columned one is where Forrest Gump liked to hang out; and the one with the dome is where the president lives, or something like that. "A lot of tourists really don't know anything about Washington or history," Hindman says. "We thought we could entertain people and get them interested in history at the same time."
Jefferson Memorial Needs Repair, Study Says
May 15, 2008 - 12:25pm
The sea wall at the Jefferson Memorial has sunk almost a foot in places since the monument was built, and the rate seems to have increased in recent years, according to a year-long study commissioned by the National Park Service. As a result, the sea wall, in the Tidal Basin, should be reinforced with pilings driven through the mud flats and anchored in bedrock far below, a project that would probably cost more than $10 million, a Park Service spokesman said. Park Service officials said they would study the report and conduct further investigations before deciding on a course of action. The 32,000-ton memorial does not appear to be sinking. But the report urges continued monitoring of the 18-acre complex to understand what is happening in the ground. One engineer said that if nothing is done, the problems will worsen.
May 15, 2008 - 12:25pm
The sea wall at the Jefferson Memorial has sunk almost a foot in places since the monument was built, and the rate seems to have increased in recent years, according to a year-long study commissioned by the National Park Service. As a result, the sea wall, in the Tidal Basin, should be reinforced with pilings driven through the mud flats and anchored in bedrock far below, a project that would probably cost more than $10 million, a Park Service spokesman said. Park Service officials said they would study the report and conduct further investigations before deciding on a course of action. The 32,000-ton memorial does not appear to be sinking. But the report urges continued monitoring of the 18-acre complex to understand what is happening in the ground. One engineer said that if nothing is done, the problems will worsen.
Kayaking Trips at Channel Islands National Park
May 15, 2008 - 12:22pm
My friend Craig and I were nearing the end of our paddling excursion through Channel Islands National Park: a circumnavigation of Santa Rosa Island, followed by an open ocean sprint through pea soup fog to Santa Cruz Island, and an exploration of the natural wonders on that island’s craggy front side. We kayaked past volcanic sea stacks and configurations such as Profile Point, then paddled into the Dardanelles, where we ducked under triangular and keyhole-shaped arches. But it was the black mass that swarmed beneath Craig’s kayak at Potato Harbor that we remember most.We couldn’t have asked for cleaner paddling conditions: no swell or wind, and the water clarity mirrored the South Pacific. We’d paddled the entire front side of the largest island in the archipelago without a break, and decided to stretch our legs at Potato Harbor, the last protected cove before Scorpion Anchorage on the southeast end of the isle. As soon as our hulls scraped wet sand, that black mass appeared in the waist-deep water. A gazillion silverfish bonded into a giant baitball. Stiff-legged, Craig gently shoved his kayak back into the protected waters of Potato. Perhaps instantly drawn toward his multicolored vessel, the baitball swayed beneath him, a sort of aquatic ballet and another Channel Islands natural wonder within the ebb and flow of a draining tide.
May 15, 2008 - 12:22pm
My friend Craig and I were nearing the end of our paddling excursion through Channel Islands National Park: a circumnavigation of Santa Rosa Island, followed by an open ocean sprint through pea soup fog to Santa Cruz Island, and an exploration of the natural wonders on that island’s craggy front side. We kayaked past volcanic sea stacks and configurations such as Profile Point, then paddled into the Dardanelles, where we ducked under triangular and keyhole-shaped arches. But it was the black mass that swarmed beneath Craig’s kayak at Potato Harbor that we remember most.We couldn’t have asked for cleaner paddling conditions: no swell or wind, and the water clarity mirrored the South Pacific. We’d paddled the entire front side of the largest island in the archipelago without a break, and decided to stretch our legs at Potato Harbor, the last protected cove before Scorpion Anchorage on the southeast end of the isle. As soon as our hulls scraped wet sand, that black mass appeared in the waist-deep water. A gazillion silverfish bonded into a giant baitball. Stiff-legged, Craig gently shoved his kayak back into the protected waters of Potato. Perhaps instantly drawn toward his multicolored vessel, the baitball swayed beneath him, a sort of aquatic ballet and another Channel Islands natural wonder within the ebb and flow of a draining tide.
