Puʻu ʻOʻo

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

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Puʻu ʻOʻo vent saw the longest-lasting and most voluminous of the Kilauea's eruptions, oozing an estimated 80 to 160 million gallons of lava per day, or 120 to 240 Olympic-sized swimming pools' worth, until it all suddenly disappeared in late April 2018 – the first clue to vulcanologists that something very big was about to go down.

Over the next few days, the missing lava, along with dormant lava from previous eruptions, made its way down the lower East Rift Zone, eventually breaking through some 24 fissures around Puna as part of the 2018 lower Puna eruption. It caused enormous damage and forever altered the landscape of the Big Island. Originally called Puʻu O after a cartographic coincidence – the eruption started in 1983 smack in the middle of a letter 'o' on the map – Kalapana elders later bestowed the name ʻOʻo meaning 'the stick for digging', recalling stories of Pele. You can now hike to Puʻu ʻOʻo's base on a extension opened in 2019 from Napau Crater Trail.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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    10.98 MILES

    Kilauea volcano lies at the center of activity in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The unassuming bump on Mauna Loa's southeast flank would be easily…

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    Halemaʻumaʻu Crater

    11.39 MILES

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    Puʻu Loa Petroglyphs

    6.67 MILES

    The gentle, 1.3-mile round-trip to Puʻu Loa (roughly, 'hill of long life') leads to one of Hawaiʻi's largest concentrations of ancient petroglyphs, some…

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    Liliʻuokalani Park

    23.31 MILES

    Arguably Hilo's most beautiful spot, these sprawling Japanese gardens are perfect for picnicking. Named for Hawaii's last queen (r 1891–93), the 30-acre…

  • KEHENA BLACK SAND BEACH,Big Island Hawaii 1291212460 137, adventure, beach, beautiful, black sand, blue, blue sky, car, coast, countryside, exploration, green, hawaii state, hawaii volcanoes national park, journey, lake flow, landscape, lava flow, locals, magma, nature, ocean, outdoor, plant, resort, rock, sandy beach, sea, sightseeing, sky, southern country, spectacular, tourism, travel, trees, unexplored, usa, vacation, view, volcano, water

    Kehena Beach

    11.61 MILES

    If any place captures the vibe of Puna, it's this beautiful black-sand beach tucked beneath a cliff where all walks of life – hippies, Hawaiians, gays,…

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    Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

    10.6 MILES

    Even among Hawaii's many wonders, this national park stands out. Its two active volcanoes testify to the ongoing birth of the islands: quiet Mauna Loa (13…

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    Kilauea Iki Overlook

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    When 'Little Kilauea' burst open in a fiery inferno in November 1959, it filled the crater with a roiling lake of molten rock fed by a 1900ft fountain…

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Nearby Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park attractions

1. Old Pulu Factory

3.32 MILES

Ancient Hawaiians used pulu, the golden, silky fibers found at the base of hapuʻu (tree fern) fiddleheads, to dress wounds and embalm the dead. In the…

2. Makaopuhi Crater

4.34 MILES

This jaw-dropping, mile-long crater is the largest in the East Rift Zone. Although once accessible by road, it's now 5 miles along the Napau Crater Trail,…

3. ʻAlae Lava Shield

5.87 MILES

The once-awesome ʻAlae crater did not go easily. The Mauna Ulu eruption had just filled the 1440ft-wide and 540ft-deep crater with a lake of molten lava…

4. Kealakomo

6.1 MILES

About halfway along Chain of Craters Road is this coastal lookout (elevation 2000ft), with picnic tables and commanding views. That inky black snake's…

5. Mauna Ulu

6.37 MILES

In 1969, eruptions from Kilauea's East Rift Zone began building a new lava shield, Mauna Ulu (Growing Mountain). By the time the flow stopped in 1974, it…

6. Akatsuka Orchid Gardens

6.38 MILES

Drop in to this touristy showroom for a visual and olfactory feast of floral hybrids. Although we cannot confirm whether theirs is indeed the world's…

7. End of the Road

6.45 MILES

Sort of. The road ends where the lava says it ends, having consumed this coastal section of Chain of Craters Road repeatedly since 1969. Currently there…

8. Holei Sea Arch

6.48 MILES

Constantly brutalized by unrelenting surf, the coastal section of Chain of Craters Road has sharply eroded lava-rock pali (cliffs). Visible from near the…

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