Page 442 - Hawaii: Diving, Surfing, Pearl Harbor, Volcanoes and More

HANDICAP ACCESS: People with disabilities can access many VOLCANIC FUMES: Noxious sulphurous fumes steam out of
viewpoints and trails within the park. Wheelchairs are available at hundreds of vents in Halemaumau Crater, Sulphur Banks, and other
the Kilauea Visitor Center, Jaggar Museum and the Ranger Station. areas in and around Kilauea Crater. These fumes may be hazard-
Suitable wheelchair trails include Sulphur Banks Trail, Devastation ous to your health. If you are with an infant or small children, are
Trail, Puahi Crater Trail, Muliwai a Pele, Kealakomo, and Crater Rim pregnant, elderly, or if you have respiratory or heart problems, you
Trail immediately in front of Volcano House. Most turnouts and should avoid these fuming areas. CRATER RIM DRIVE This 11-
viewpointscan be enjoyed from the car or the immediate parking lot mile drive encircles Kilauea Crater, goes through desert and rain
as well. Campgrounds are also accessible. forest, and has many places to stop for scenic views and short walks.
The pullouts and easy hikes to magnificent viewpoints all around
PETS: Your pets must be under control at all times. There are NO this drive are perfect for visitors who have a limited amount of time
DOGS allowed on the backcountry. These rules exist to protect the to visit the park. Others will want to more closely explore Sulphur
Nene and other wildlife. Banks, Steam Vents, Jaggar Museum, Halemaumau Crater, Keanaka-
koi Crater, Devastation Trail, Kilauea Iki Crater, Thurston Lava Tube,
HAWAIIAN WILDLIFE: Hawaii’s unique biodiversity has been and the area around the Visitor Center and the Volcano House Hotel.
severely compromised by human activity and the introduction of
non-native plants and animals. An all-out effort by Hawaii Volca- HALEMAUMAU OVERLOOK: One of the highlights of your trip
noes National Park is restoring and maintaining habitats to help around Crater Rim Drive is this short hike past a rock-strewn barren
native species flourish. landscape, spewing with noxious fumes, to this unbelievable lookout.
It is at this lookout that you will begin to understand the magnitude
HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY: Founded in 1912 by of the awesome Halemaumau Crater and the much larger Kilauea
Thomas Jaggar, the observatory monitors the four active Hawaiian Crater.
volcanoes: Mauna Loa, Kilauea, Haleakala, and Hualalai. The obser-
vatory is a worldwide leader in the study of active volcanism. Sorry, SCALE COMPARISON: How big is the Halemaumau Crater and
the observatory is closed to the public. the Kilauea Crater? This drawing of the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu
is to scale with this map for comparison to these huge craters. Fif-
JAGGAR MUSEUM: Inside this busy museum are working seismo- teen stadiums would fit on the floor of the Halemaumau Crater, and
graphs, hands-on activities, and geologic displays. Outside at the over 150 stadiums would fit within the Kilauea Crater.
museum overlook is an eagle-eye view of the breathtaking Kilauea
Caldera and the Halemaumau Crater. If the weather isn’t cooperat-
ing, the museum has picture windows for a view while you wait for
the weather to clear.