Consider that sometimes, you have to hike over old hardened lava flows to get to the view points. That’s not an easy thing for an adult to do much less a child. I the daytime it’s very hot as the black lava absorbs the sun and in the dark, well, nothing is easy to walk in the dark.

Another key consideration is which way the wind is blowing and if your children have any respiratory issues. If the wind is blowing the fumes towards the viewing point, it can be irritating.

I suggest you speak to someone at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for their advice — (808) 985-6000

He says, “Lava is burning up more of our road at the public viewing area in Kalapana on the Big Island of Hawaii.”

It must be a pretty spectacular view!

Unfortunately, I don’t know anything beyond what’s posted on the Kilauea update here: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php

Per that site, here’s the lava viewing update:
Kalapana Public Access Information from Hawai`i County Civil Defense: Kalapana Gardens is a private subdivision and access will only be granted to subdivision residents. Private property borders highway 130 through Kalapana, and visitors to the Hawai`i County Lava Viewing Area are not allowed access off the highway easement. Hawai`i County Police will be monitoring the area. Hawai`i County Lava Viewing Area status can be found at 808 961-8093.

Maps, photos, Webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano are available at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php. A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.
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I recommend you call those phone numbers listed in the official update to ask for the most recent viewing information.

I subscribe to this youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=LAVALOVERBO#g/u The guy that uploads those videos lives there in Kalapana Gardens. His recent videos have shown some amazing flows, but I suspect he’s accessing areas that are beyond the safety of the Hawaii County Lava Viewing area.

Hope that helps.

It might be worth your while to speak to someone at the visitors center of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Maybe they have some ideas.

Another alternative might be to go on a helicopter tour, but I’m not sure if they would have a minimum age restriction. Safari Helicopters is offering a good deal that I blogged about in today’s post. They have a great safety record.

I called Lava Ocean Adventures and they won’t even consider taking anyone under 6yrs – which is completely understandable since they don’t have seatbelts on the boat. Can you tell me is there some way to stop the fumes being inhaled? Some mask of some sort? I’d really like to go to the volcanoes and that means taking the kids but I don’t want to put them at risk.

You might want to consider that volcanic fumes can be hazardous for young children. This sign is posted at the lava viewing area. http://www.flickr.com/photos/govisithawaii/2335958900/

There is a boat tour offered by the folks at Lava Ocean Adventures http://www.lavaocean.com/ It can be a bit of a rocky ride. You might call to see if you think it might match your needs. 808.966.4200

Any help would be much appreciated. We will arrive on Big Island on 21st August.

Thank you!

The Kilauea Eruption Update page that Hawaii county operates used to provide a map indicating the trails, but they don’t have it anymore. My advice would be to call their hotline (808) 961-8093 and ask close to the time you’ll be there. Since the flows can and sometimes do move, it can be a little bit of a moving target.

One thing to bear in mind with these surface flows is that once they get a flow to the ocean established, the lava starts to form tubes, so the surface flow ceases, but there should be a spectacular ocean entry.

Your comment triggered my memory of our first visit to try to see the lava in 2004. Like you we had read that you could hike to see the lava and we saw these amazingly close photos of oozing lava. Well, our experience that time was much worse than yours. While technically we could have hiked to get a closer view of the lava….get this… it was an 18-mile round-trip hike across rugged terrain. While we love hiking, that was way more than we cared to do. We ended up having to take a helicopter tour that hovered briefly over Pu’u O’o just for a glimpse of a small sliver of red lava. So, I understand what it’s like to be disappointed that the lava doesn’t look like the things the glossy brochures and guide books tell you.

See the lava flow depends one where and how it’s flowing and that is very, very unpredictable.It’s impossible to say where and how the lava might be flowing next week,next month, etc.

Based on the recent HVO reports, you can see lava flowing down the pali (hill) at the lava viewing point that’s located at the end of Highway 130 in Kalapana.

The photos in the link are in Royal Gardens. I doubt there is a specific trail there and don’t really advise going there without knowing the terrain very, very well. It’s easy to get lost, dehydrated, and disoriented.

The lava at a black sand beach — are you talking about moving lava or hardened old lava flows?

Keep an eye on the resources referenced in this post: http://www.govisithawaii.com/2009/10/07/how-to-find-out-whats-going-on-with-the-lava-on-hawaiis-big-island/ Also, make sure you visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for their up to date advice.

Try also to see if Halemaumau crater is glowing at night from the embedded lava lake.

How do I get to the area where photos like these were taken? http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/images.html

I’ve also seen photos where lava is on a black sand beach taken very recently. How do I get to those areas for photos?
Coming to the Big Island on Tuesday with first-timers and heard the ocean entry wasn’t quite active, but want to get them to some lava nonetheless. Please help.

Did you see my post last week? Lava is once again on the move.

As your trip gets nearer, check out this post on how to find out what’s going on with the lava: http://www.govisithawaii.com/2009/10/07/how-to-find-out-whats-going-on-with-the-lava-on-hawaiis-big-island/

We’re going back this October and I wanted to know if we would get to see the lava flow this time around, if they actually stopped letting people hike to it or if that was just a temporary precaution. Can someone please help me out?