The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes over thousands of years. The youngest Island, the Big Island, is constantly growing in size because some of its volcanoes are still actively spewing molten lava into the ocean, forming new rock and land. Of course, it takes more than one volcano to create enough land to make and island the size of Hawaii. Here’s your guide to the Big Island’s Hawaiian volcanoes.
Kilauea
Kilauea is the youngest volcano in Hawaii and one of the most active in the world. In the past 60 years, it has erupted 34 times! Luckily, Kilauea is a shield volcano, which means its eruptions flow nice and slow instead of giant, destructive explosions. Because the volcano is so active, Native Hawaiians believed it to be the residence of Pele, the goddess of fire.
This volcano is located on the southern side of the Island, and it even has its own national park. Tourists come from all over the world to see the active volcano, thermal vents, lava lake, and lava flows in Volcano National Park.
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano that last erupted over 4,000 years ago. But just because it’s not spewing lava all over the place doesn’t mean it’s not interesting.
Mauna Kea is the highest point in the islands, standing at 13,796 feet above sea level. While that might not be the highest mountain on earth, it is actually the tallest! The base of Mauna Kea sits well below the ocean’s surface, meaning in total, the mountain is over 33,000 feet tall—even taller than Mount Everest!
Because of its height, Mauna Kea is a prime location for stargazing, which is why many observatories call its peak home. Tourists can even drive to the summit to enjoy out-of-this-world views and some of the best sunsets you could ever imagine. Plus, it’s one of the only spots you’ll get to see snow in Hawaii!
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is the second largest mountain in Hawaii, standing at 13,100 feet (only a couple hundred feet shy of the record). But unlike its rival Mauna Kea, Maua Loa is still an active volcano, making it the largest active volcano in the world!
When you visit the Big Island, Mauna Loa is pretty hard to miss. Its peak sits almost right in the middle of the island, and its base takes up a whopping 85% of the area of all the Hawaiian Islands combined! Most of the Big Island is made up of the base of Mauna Loa.
Although Mauna Loa is still considered to be an active volcano, it hasn’t erupted since 1984. But when it does erupt, it creates lava flows as massive as you’d expect from such a large volcano. Because of that, its activity is very closely monitored.
Kohala
Kohala is the Big Island’s oldest above-water volcano. Its last eruption was over 65,000 years ago, so it’s considered to be extinct. Its peaks make up the northern part of the Big Island, including the Kohala Ranch area.
Since the last eruption was so long ago, Kohala is now covered in grass, pastures, and forest. Kohala’s many pu’us (a volcanic cone) make for some great hiking!
Hualālai
Hualālai is the westernmost volcano on the Big Island and the third-most active. While that might sound like its actively spewing lava all the time, its last documented eruption was in 1801 (it takes a long time for a volcano to be considered “inactive” or dormant).
Kailua-Kona, one of the Big Island’s two major cities, sits in the shadow of the Hualālai volcano.
Want to See Hawaii’s Volcanoes for Yourself?
While volcanoes might seem scary, they’re responsible for creating the tropical paradise that is Hawaii! Although three of the Big Island’s volcanoes are still considered active, they’re all shield volcanoes. That means there’s no threat of an explosive, “get out of the way fast” eruption. Visitors come from all over to see these incredible feats of nature and even catch them in action!
Come visit the Hawaiian volcanoes for yourself, or if you prefer, stay for a little while longer. There are plenty of properties available on the Big Island. Why not turn your dream vacation into a dream lifestyle? If you’re ready to get your own little slice of paradise, contact me to get started.
Aloha, and welcome to Hawaii.