Kalapana Lava Viewing Area

Most of the active lava flows are around this area. We did not see any active lava during our visit, but there has been a lot of low since then. CAUTION: make sure you are aware of what is happening as lava flows could close routes to some portions of the island. Do not attempt to get close to the flow unless you are with an experienced guide.
DIRECTIONS: the location marker in Unilocal is way off. So here is how you get to the viewing area: From Keaau, take 130 south, southeast, staying to the right as you pass the town of Pahoa. Stay on 130 until you have reached the end of the road. There is a small parking area and usually a guard shack. You will have to go on foot past the shack since only residents are allowed in vehicles beyond that point. The guards also can offer advice on what to see and where to look.
Bottom Line: If you want to see recent lava flows, this is the place. You can see all the differences in color and all the variations in the structure of the flows over time. However, I wouldn’t plan on spending more than 30 minutes here. You can only look at lava rocks for so long before the kids want to leave.
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UPDATE: the viewing area is «permanently closed» due to recent activity. That doesn’t mean you can’t find a guide to take you there, but you might not be able to go there on your own. Please do some research before you go. The town of Pahoa recently got hit by the flow, so the roads may be impassable.

Whoops, posted on wrong site – I’m talking about the end of the road… This is worth the drive! Unbelievable sight to see. Highly recommended. Bring a light jacket for rain. People try to sell you things in parking lot.

Very friendly ranger. But lava hasn’t flowed to the ocean since Dec’11. We missed out. MAYBE NEXT TIME! :-)

Do not make a special trip out to see this area. Could not see anything, but a little red spec. It is 3 miles from lava. Not much of a viewing site. If you go, call ahead of time and ask how close the lava is to the site. On the plus side, it is free and you can see some interesting lava fields.

What a spectacular place! We were able to get within a few yards of the lava and watch it as it crack, glowed and flamed. We had a brief downpour and it made the lava sizzle and steam — very cool. Here are some things to note:
— the road says it’s not passable, but the impass is slightly further along where the parking area is. Park with everyone else and walk in.
— Road is paved but it is a bit of a walk so shoes are a good idea.
— If you are pregnant or have heart/​lung problems it’s not a safe place to go because of the volcanic gasses.
— There is a porta potty and a guy who sells coffee

I took the guided hike from Kalapana to the lava flow ocean entry — «Kalapana Lava Walk» which is organized from right near the Kalapana Village Café. There were 10 people on the tour which cost $ 50 from some kids who were related to «Uncle Robert» who owns most of the land in and around Kalapana. We left at 5:30 pm and it was light out but it was still rough going over the lava field. The scenery was beautiful, but when I asked our 20-​something guide (Bryan) to stop for some photo ops, he said there wasn’t time — I took the pictures anyway and just fell behind, along with some of the slower members of our tour. But Bryan didn’t slow down for anyone or anything except to stop other hikers that were out there independently to warn them that they were on private property and would be prosecuted (the Aloha spirit?). We finally got to the lava flow in the dark with our flashlights and it was truly spectacular. I’m not sure if I could have actually seen just as much from the end of highway 130 than from a 2 mile hike/​run in the dark over a very rough and dangerous lava field. Then another 2 miles back. The most amazing thing was that when we were almost back, Bryan actually found a glowstick trail marker left by some of the other independent hikers who had gone out later and he TOOK IT! Not only is that greedy (because they didn’t pay up the $ 50) but incredibly irresponsible and dangerous. I hope those other hikers got back safely. Finally, nearly running over rough lava in pitch blackness with little flashlights, inevitably, one of our group tripped, fell on the lava and got some (minor I think) cuts on her face.
Maybe look for another way to get close to the lava.

Things must have changed lately, because you can’t see anything from this viewing area anymore.
I arrived at the public viewing area at the end of Rt 130 about an hour before sunset. A park ranger informed me to follow the paved road. Despite that all the land in this area has been covered by lava, it’s still privately owned, and people have begun building new property on it. They are VERY unfriendly to trespassers, and the paved road is the only public land.
After hiking for about a half mile, there was a road block and two attendants sitting at it, instructing that I could walk no farther. I was still about a mile away from the lava, and from this distance all you’d be able to see is the red glow in the steam. I ended up just leaving, as was everybody else that was visiting.
If you want to see a better view of red-​glowing steam, pay the $ 10 to visit Volcano National Park and visit Jaggar Museum at night. If you want to see actual lava, you’ll have to pay $$ to go on a private tour (I ended up going on Lava Ocean Tours, which I recommend).
Also, worth noting that the public viewing area is at the end of 130, not 137. The end of 137 did have a company offering to give a paid lava tour, but I didn’t inquire about how much it cost, whether it was on foot/​boat, etc.

Based on the current activity they have had to pull back the viewing area so the mile or so walk out doesn’t get you too much better of a view than you have from the parking area. There are plenty of tours to take you out there, that’s why I came on here to check out lava tour reviews, but the viewing area is pretty shut down. You can see the smoke and red glow, but that’s it for now. Sure they are just playing it safe, like shutting down half of the rim drive at the park.

The night we went, we could see lava glowing through cracks in the tube, just a few yards from where we stood, but the steam from the lava flowing into the ocean was most awe-​inspiring as the sun set. It glowed pink and orange, with the occasional distant splashes of lava. You cannot see the lava actually flowing into the ocean — though there are several outfits the line the walk to the viewing area that claim to take you right up to it, for a fee. Still, what you can see is beautiful, if difficult to capture on film (bring a tripod if you’re so inclined).
Get there around sunset — it gets crowded after that. Check for updates to make sure it’s open that day — sometimes the wind changes or the lava breaks out and it’s not safe.
I stumbled upon this blog, featuring great photos and near-​daily updates from a local who follows the eruption closely. It’s a great companion for your volcano visit!

Seriously, this is why one visits the Big Island. Freakin’ Lava Flowing Into The Ocean!!!
Alright, maybe there’s just more than a wee bit of geology geek in me, but this is just the coolest thing ever. I mean, there is active geology. The Earth being built as we watch. Freakin’ Lava! Dude! Seriously!
Needless to say, the viewing area at Kalapana is one of the highlights of an amazing vacation to the Big Island. We stayed near Pahoa and every local we talked to told us we had to be sure to pay our respects to Mama Pele by visiting Kalapana. It is a requirement, not a option.
We started the day with a hike in Kilauea-​Iki Crater up in Volcanoes National Park. Beginning the day with this visit to the volcanoes makes for a very nice connection to seeing the lava flow at Kalapana at night. There’s a lot of day hikes in the park, at all kinds of levels. We were seeing fumes venting from Halema‘uma‘u (toxic sulphuric dioxide) during the hike and this high level of activity up high accounted for a pretty spectacular show that night at Kalapana.
Drive out Hwy 130 from Pahoa towards Kalapana. Enjoy the road sign which reads, «End of the Road 1» and they aren’t joking. After 1 mile you’ll come to barriers and lava flow over the road. Last cars allowed in at 8PM, but you can stay until 10PM. Follow out the track, sometimes one lane paved over lava and sometimes Hwy 130 again, until you get to parking.
Vendors are on hand offering coffee, t-​shirts, jewelry and pictures. The photography was both really good, better than we could hope to take, and not entirely unreasonable. We went ahead and spent $ 20 on one 8×10 and 5 3x5s.
Walk out over lava, following the occasional yellow road stripe paint. Wear sensible shoes. There are big holes, giant cracks, and sharp lava everywhere. Flashlights might be helpful, but please be mindful of them and how the intense, white light affects the eyes of people sitting in the dark watching lava. We went on a night near the full moon and could see quite clearly on the walk over the lava.

(I reviewed this elsewhere, but then noticed Jason J. actually had the right address. If you read that review, this one will seem redundant, unless you have a short attention span and/​or poor memory skills.)
When we arrived at the Coconut Cottage B & B in Pahoa, we found some detailed information on what to do in the area. One of the first suggestions, and one of the main reasons we headed here, was to see the active lava flow into the ocean! During our stay, the Lava Viewing area was open from 5pm-​10pm, though signs stated it was only open till 8pm. Actually, the last car was allowed in at 8:00pm but those there could remain until 10pm. Everything promptly closes at 10 though, and there are strict warnings everywhere to be out by then, so make sure you do. Warnings are something like «You will be left here to die if you aren’t out by 10pm» but a little more subtle.
You can get to the Lava Viewing Area by following Route 130 until it ends. During the drive, you can see the plume of smoke rising into the air in the distance. Eerie. Make sure you bring water, sneakers (no flip flops!), and of course your camera. Rain gear is also good as we had a few showers during our trips there. There is a large parking area, and some vendors at the front to buy pictures of the Lava (much better pictures than what you will get), jewelry, coffee, and t-​shirts. To get to the viewing area, you walk over lots of lava rocks. The path has white and yellow paint markings to follow, which helps, but you really do need a flashlight at night or you will likely fall quite a few times as the ground is very uneven and filled with cracks. I would recommend getting out there early, before the sun goes down. The viewing is still good, and that way you only need to make one trip in the dark. The best view we found was as close to the ocean as you could get. The area is fenced off, so you can’t go any further, but from that spot, we could see lava falling into the ocean, sprays of lava into the area, lots of smoke, etc. You could also see other spots where there is lava flow further down the coast.
To get a better view, try the helicopter tours or boat tours. I wanted to try both (or either) but was too sick to risk adding motion sickness to the list of things wrong with me.

This is by far the best lava eruption i’ve ever seen. of course this is also the only one i’ve ever seen also.
the viewing area is managed by the state, and open from 2−10pm, apparently the last car is let through at 8. the best viewing time would be around 630 (meaning park by 6), and leave just after it gets dark (8ish). that allows you the best light to see the lava flowing, and also gives you ample time to take pictures in all sorts of light with the lava glowing into the steam.
also, do take a flashlight, as there are not streetlamps lighting the lava path that you have to walk on (about 1 mile from the make-​shift parking lot)