Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , also spelled Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, is on the island of Hawaii. The park includes two active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The park’s location and volcanic conditions provide habitats to rare animals and plants that developed in isolation over millions of years. For area, see National Park System (table: National parks).
The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanic eruptions that began about 70 million years ago. Mauna Loa, which means long mountain in the Hawaiian language, towers above the island of Hawaii. The world’s largest active volcano, it stands 13,677 feet (4,169 meters) above sea level and rises more than 30,000 feet from the ocean floor. Kilauea lies on the southeastern slope of Mauna Loa. Its name means spreading, or much spewing. Kilauea’s wide crater, or caldera, looks like a saucer hollowed out in a broad plain. Visitors can view the erupting volcano from the island’s shoreline at the base of the mountain. Crater Rim Drive, a 10-mile (16-kilometer) loop road, brings visitors to the caldera’s rim. Hiking trails provide further access to many natural and cultural attractions.
The park has a wide range in elevation and hosts a variety of ecological zones. Plant and animal life evolved there in geographical isolation over millions of years. Most of its species are found nowhere else on Earth. The park’s natural landscapes include tropical rainforest, grasslands, sea coast, arid alpine slopes, and areas of recent lava flows. These habitats provide homes to rare trees and shrubs, and hundreds of fern species. Wildlife there include bats, sea turtles, and many species of rare and colorful birds.
The first humans to inhabit the Hawaiian Islands were Polynesians who sailed the Pacific Ocean in giant canoes. They arrived in the Hawaiian chain from other Pacific islands about 1,500 years ago. According to Hawaiian legend, Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes, makes her home within Kilauea. The remains of several Native Hawaiian cultural sites lie within the park.
The park was established as Hawaii National Park on the islands of Hawaii and Maui in 1916. In 1961, the section of the park on Maui was designated as Haleakala National Park. The section on Hawaii was renamed Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. See also Haleakala National Park; Hawaii; Kilauea; Mauna Loa.
