Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK. Encompassing more than 350 square acres, this tumultuous national park is one of the most photographed locales in the Hawaiian chain. For more than 70 million years, volcanic heat and pressure from inside the earth have molded the dramatic landscape, which includes Thurston Lava Tube, still-smoldering Halemaumau Crater, and majestic Mauna Loa's highly active Pu'u O'o vent, which has been spewing lava since 1993. Visitors are free to explore the park's 50 or so miles of roadways, which wind in and out of dense tropical rain forest that surrounds Mauna Loa, but are encouraged to stay on guard since volcanic activity is commonplace. The Kilauea Visitor Center sits just inside the park's main entrance. The park was designated a World Heritage site in 1987.