Interesting facts about Hawaii Volcanoes Park and Compelling Reasons To Visit
Attracting millions of visitors year after year, you may have heard that Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is among the country’s most popular national parks (#14, to be precise). But a lesser-known fact is that it is also the 24th largest national park in size, at a sprawling 323,000 acres, encompassing much of the southern area of the Big Island.
As this map shows, the park’s boundaries include a significant portion of the coastline between Pahoa and Pahala and the grand volcanic landscapes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa, all right at the doorstep of Volcano Village Lodge.
More interesting facts about Hawaii Volcanoes Park is that it is in rare company with the likes of Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China, and the Roman Coliseum, as the park was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1987, awarded for its ecological preservation and its cultural relevance for the Hawaiian people.
Mauna Loa: Climb the Park’s Centerpiece and the True “Highest” Peak in the World
Every year during the prime climbing season, Mt. Everest gets all of the media attention, as alpinists aim for the highest summit in the world.
But what goes unsaid and unnoticed is that Mauna Loa, which makes up over half of the Big Island and is the largest active volcano anywhere in the world, is taller than Mt. Everest by 25,000 feet! Of course, this measurement includes the entirety of Mauna Loa’s landmass, from the ocean floor where it took shape over 600,000 years ago to its summit at 13,679 feet above sea level.
You can climb to its peak, including a 16-mile trail that traverses from lush rainforest to barren alpine, and savor the summit views with the unique knowledge that you are at a mountainous height that dwarfs Everest.
Endemic Species: Hawaii’s Special Place in the Biological Pantheon
The Hawaiian islands, thousands of miles away from the nearest continent and geographically remote, are a haven for biologists studying rare animal and plant species. There are 170 native species of ferns in Hawaii, with 130 of those occurring solely in Hawaii.
Likewise, 64 bird species are unique to Hawaii, although 30 of those species have gone extinct. One of the 34 surviving species, the Hawaiian Honeycreeper, is prominent in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and can be spotted with its distinct plumage (varying between orange, green, and red) and its specialized beak for insect-hunting and nectar procurement.
This idea of a species being endemic to a particular location, in that it exists there and nowhere else, is one of the holy grails of ecological study and preservation. When you walk by an ancient fern on a volcanic trail or hear the birdsong of the Honeycreeper, you’ll be witnessing life as it exists nowhere else on the planet.
Book your stay today and explore, firsthand, volcanic peaks, fern forests, and the rarest of species!
