When Mark Twain visited the Volcano House Lodge on the rim of the Kilauea crater in 1866, the volcano was erupting. He was on a 4-month assignment for the Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento writing about the Sandwich Islands. As Twain peered into the crater with his opera-glasses, he saw and described a black terrain crisscrossed with "cataracts of fire" of white, the richest red and gold. He was referring to how the lava changes colors as it cools. Sulfur dioxide gas was in the air. Since the smell is associated with the Devil, humorist Twain noted: "The smell of sulfur is strong, but not unpleasant to a sinner."
The Volcano National Park was established fifty years later in 1916. This place was and still is a beautiful and dynamic environment. Most recently in 2018, the magma chamber filled with lava raising the caldera floor. It erupted sending rivers of lava toward the sea. Lava blocked roads, destroyed neighborhoods and infrastructure. Once the lava had flowed out, the caldera floor collapsed. It took a large chunk of the scenic Crater Rim Road down with it. You can still see that road. It is just a thousand feet lower than before.
There are numerous trails to hike ranging from easy to quite challenging. All are gorgeous and worth your time. The Crater Rim Trail takes you past amazing overlooks, exotic vegetation and steam vents. The Thurston Lava Tube hike is super popular because you walk through a cave where lava flowed 500 years ago. Other trails take you to the caldera floor. It is like wandering onto another planet.
The Volcano House Lodge is still operating after more than 150 years catering to tourists. It has changed over the years, fortunately not as rustic as when Twain stayed there. It is a good place to hangout and discuss your trail adventures of the day. The restaurant has ever-changing views of the caldera with live Hawaiian music to accompany your meal. The bar has a wonderful fireplace with a koa wood bas-relief image of Pele.
Kilauea can emit between 500 and 14,000 tons of sulfur dioxide gas per day during an eruption. In heavy doses sulfur dioxide will kill you, even if you are a sinner. For public safety, GPS monitoring posts are situated throughout the park recording the movement below. Likewise many of the National Park Service staff carry personal sulfur dioxide monitors for safety awareness. So if you visit and you see someone in a park service uniform running for their lives, you may want to follow their lead.
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
