Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
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| Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | |
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| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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| Location: | Hawaii, USA |
| Nearest city: | Hilo, Hawai'i |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 330,000 acres (1348 km²) |
| Established: | August 1, 1916 |
| Total Visitation: | 2,699,002 (in 2005) |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
| State Party |  United States of America |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | viii |
| Identification | #409 |
| Regionb | Europe and North America |
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Inscription History |
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| Formal Inscription: | 1987 11th Session |
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a Name as officially inscribed on the WH List |
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Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, displays the results of hundreds of thousands of years of volcanism, migration, and evolution—processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture. The park encompasses diverse environments that range from sea level to the summit of the earth's most massive volcano, Mauna Loa at 13,677 feet. Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, offers scientists insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and visitors' views of dramatic volcanic landscapes. The park includes 505 mi² (1348 km²) of land.
Over half of the park is designated wilderness and provides unusual hiking and camping opportunities. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has been designated as an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site.
The volcanic activity generated in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park helped create Kalapana black sand beach (now covered by lava from the current eruption) and other black sand beaches.
It is said that if any volcanic rock or black sand is taken from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (or anywhere in Hawaiʻi) that the person that took it will be cursed by the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele until it is returned. While purportedly an ancient Hawaiian belief, historians can trace this legend only to the mid twentieth century, and it is widely believed to have been invented by park rangers to keep visitors from taking rocks. Nevertheless, the lobby of Kīlauea Military Camp (now a vacation area for military personnel) has a cabinet displaying rocks returned by people attempting to atone for the bad luck that has befallen them, and letters describing their predicaments.
 Hawaiʻi national parks. |
 Lava erupting from the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent |
 Old lava flows covering roads |
 Slow moving lava can be approached quite closely |
 Sea arch caused by lava flow near the flowing lava site. |
[edit] External links
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