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Hawaii

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

May 15, 2024 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

Hawai‘i

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1916

344,812 acres

Website: nps.gov/havo

Overview

Hawai‘i National Park was created in 1916, before being split in 1961 into this park on the Big Island of Hawai‘i and Haleakala National Park on Maui. Encompassing two of the world’s most active volcanoes (Kīlauea and Mauna Loa), Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is constantly changing. Indigenous people considered Kīlauea Caldera and its bubbling Halemaʻumaʻu Crater as the sacred home of Pele, goddess of the volcano. This area first became a tourist attraction in the 1840s when Volcano House was still a grass shack. A small, wooden hotel was built in 1877 that now serves as Volcano Art Center Gallery, before the larger lodge was finished in the 1940s on the edge of the caldera. A strenuous backpacking trail summits the world’s largest shield volcano, 13,677-foot Mauna Loa, which erupted in 1926, 1942, 1950, 1984, and 2022.

To learn more about the separate Kahuku Unit and how to find solitude in this National Park that saw 1.6-million visitors in 2023, check out our expanded 2nd edition of our guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Highlights

Volcano Art Center, Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, Chain of Craters Road, Kīlauea Iki Crater, Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube), Hōlei Sea Arch, Lava Tree Molds, Mauna Loa Overlook, Kīpukapuaulu Trail, Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs Trail

Must-Do Activity

Arrive early or late at the visitor center to avoid tour bus crowds, then check with a ranger to find the best overlooks to view any volcanic activity in Halemaʻumaʻu Crater (depicted in our illustration below). Consider returning to view the molten lava after dark, although parking can be a challenge. The Chain of Craters Road leads 20 miles south from the forested caldera rim above 4,078 feet in elevation down to the sparsely vegetated seashore, descending through a wide range of environments before it dead ends into recent lava flows near the Hōlei Sea Arch and 1.5-mile Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs Trail, where the crisp images chipped into the black lava have been spared from centuries of volcanic activity.

Best Trail

Kīlauea Iki Trail makes a four-mile loop descending 400 feet to the bottom of the crater that was a lake of lava in 1959. It is recommended to hike it in a counter-clockwise direction to avoid ascending the steepest sections.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Kīlauea erupted nonstop from 1983 through 2018, when lava poured in a near constant stream into the ocean, and it has been sporadically active since then. Lava made it into the #1 spot on our Top 10 Natural Phenomena to See in the U.S.

Peak Season

Year round or whenever a volcano is active

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$30 per vehicle or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

Chain of Craters Road is paved, but can be closed during volcanic eruptions, just as half of Crater Rim Drive has been closed since March 19, 2008. The side road to Hilina Pali Overlook is usually closed beyond Kulanaokuaiki Campground. The one-lane, potholed Mauna Loa Road is doable with a passenger vehicle if you take it slow, as is the unpaved road into the western Kahuku Unit.

Camping

The name of Kulanaokuaiki Campground translates as “shaking earth,” and this nine-site primitive camp has no drinking water, unlike the concessionaire-run Nāmakanipaio Campground and Cabins on Highway 11. Even though this is Hawai‘i, bring some warm clothes as it can be quite rainy and windy, especially when the volcano is erupting; the temperature around Halemaʻumaʻu Crater did not rise above 59°F all day during our 2023 visit.

Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park (Hawai‘i)

Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site (Hawai‘i)

Scott at the bottom of Kīlauea Iki Crater

Explore More – When was the 115,788-acre Kahuku Unit added to the National Park?

*This design we created to celebrate Isle Royale National Park is available on a variety of products at* Cafe Press

We designed this ‘ohi’a lehua logo for the park available on Amazon.com

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

List

Top 10 Natural Phenomena to See in the U.S.

May 14, 2024 Raven About The Parks 5 Comments

We like to make Top 10 Lists for our readers to prioritize where to go, so here is a new one we came up with specifically to celebrate our 500th blog post. If we already have a post highlighting the type of natural wonder mentioned, we included a link (plus a few extra for future posts). These lists are by no means exhaustive of all the states or public lands where you can witness these phenomena. Click here for all our Top 10 Lists.

10. Natural bridge or arch (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Nevada, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming)

Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Daniel Boone National Forest, Natural Bridges National Monument

9. Sand dune field (California, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah)

Death Valley National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Indiana Dunes National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, White Sands National Park

8. Sea cave (California, Michigan, Oregon, Wisconsin)

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Channel Islands National Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

7. Slot canyon (Arkansas, California, New Mexico, Utah)

Capitol Reef National Park, Death Valley National Park, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

6. Coral reef (American Samoa, Florida, Hawai‘i, Virgin Islands)

National Park of American Samoa, Buck Island Reef National Monument, Dry Tortugas National Park, Pu‘uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, Virgin Islands National Park

5. Giant sequoia or coast redwood tree (California)

Giant Sequoia National Monument, Kings Canyon National Park, Los Padres National Forest, Redwood National Park, Sequoia National Park, Sierra National Forest

4. Geyser or geothermal area (California, Hawai‘i, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming)

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Yellowstone National Park

3. Bioluminescence (Alabama, Florida, Hawai‘i, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)

Canaveral National Seashore, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve

2. Aurora borealis (Alaska, Michigan, Minnesota)

Chippewa National Forest, Denali National Park and Preserve, Hiawatha National Forest, Keweenaw National Historical Park, Voyageurs National Park

…and finally our #1 natural phenomenon to see in the U.S.:

1. Lava (Hawai‘i)

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

Honorable Mentions

Cave (Alabama, Arizona, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, South Dakota, Tennessee)

Caribou National Forest, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Great Basin National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Mammoth Cave National Park, Sequoia National Park, Wind Cave National Park

Tidepool (Alaska, California, Maine, Oregon, Washington)

Acadia National Park, Cabrillo National Monument, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Olympic National Park, Redwood National Park

Tidewater glacier (Alaska)

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park

Natural hot springs (Arkansas, California, Idaho, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming)

Beaverhead National Forest, Big Bend National Park, Boise National Forest, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Clearwater National Forest, Hot Springs National Park, Yellowstone National Park

Walk behind a waterfall (Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah)

Buffalo National River, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Hoosier National Forest, Zion National Park

Alpine tundra (Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming)

Bighorn National Forest, Bridger National Forest, Coconino National Forest, Eldorado National Forest, Gallatin National Forest, Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Inyo National Forest, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yosemite National Park

Michigan

Isle Royale National Park

April 10, 2024 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Isle Royale National Park

Michigan

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1940

571,790 acres

Website: nps.gov/isro

Overview

Surrounded by Lake Superior, Isle Royale is 45 miles long and nearer to Canada’s shores than it is to the rest of the United States. Long ferry boat rides with short layovers make this a difficult National Park to see on a daytrip, so the average stay for visitors is 3.5 days. The main access points are the ferry docks at Windigo in the west and Rock Harbor (which has a lodge) in the east.

Learn more in the expanded 2nd edition of our guidebook to the National Parks— A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Highlights

Rock Harbor, Suzy’s Cave, Scoville Point, Windigo, Minong Ridge Trail, Greenstone Ridge Trail

Must-Do Activity

Hiking is the main activity at Rock Harbor and popular destinations include Scoville Point (5 miles roundtrip), 1,080-foot tall Mount Franklin (4 miles), and a water-carved arch called Suzy’s Cave (4 miles). From June to early-September, boat tours leave from the the marina to visit Rock Harbor Lighthouse, Edisen Fishery, Raspberry Island, Hidden Lake Trailhead, and Passage Island Lighthouse. Kayak and canoe rentals are also available at Rock Harbor Marina.

Best Trail

Since 99% of the park is designated Wilderness, backpacking is the best way to experience Isle Royale (but come prepared for biting insects). There are 34 backcountry campsites spread across the 165 miles of trail, but not right along the 42-mile Greenstone Ridge Trail that follows the island’s backbone west to east.

Instagram-worthy Photo

There are four lighthouses surrounding Isle Royale and two of them are visited by boat tours. We circumnavigated the entire island on a ferry boat and our favorite was the red-brick Isle Royale Lighthouse on Menagerie Island.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

Despite the fact that it is closer to Minnesota (Central Time Zone), Isle Royale is part of Michigan and therefore in the Eastern Time Zone.

https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$7 per person, per day or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

There are no roads on Isle Royale, which is only accessible by boat and floatplane. Ferries run in the summer months from Grand Portage, Minnesota and Copper Harbor and Houghton, Michigan.

Camping

There are nine screened-in shelters and eleven tent sites right at Rock Harbor, but camping there is limited to one night only to accommodate backpackers. Washington Harbor Campground is located at Windigo and allows up to a three-night stay, but the other 34 campsites require a backpacking permit (available at Rock Harbor, Windigo, and aboard the ferry boats from Michigan). Advanced reservations are only accepted for groups of more than six people, so plans must be flexible since there are limits to the number of campers per site.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Michigan)

Grand Portage National Monument (Minnesota)

Keweenaw National Historical Park (Michigan)

Explore More – After depleting mines on the Keweenaw Peninsula, companies were eyeing Isle Royale’s deposits of what metal when it first gained federal protection in 1931?

*This design we created to celebrate Isle Royale National Park is available on a variety of products at* Cafe Press *and* Amazon.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Update

We published the expanded 2nd edition of our guidebook to the 63 National Parks!

April 8, 2024 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

We are excited to announce the publication of the expanded 2nd edition of our guidebook to the National Parks— A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks. It is now available for sale on Amazon. The new edition is more than 60 pages longer with four-page chapters on Alaska’s wilderness National Parks that formerly had only a page. We also wrote a six-page chapter on the newest National Park— New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

In this Expanded 2nd Edition of A Park to Yourself, we sort through the enormous amount of information about National Parks to select the best trails, guided tours, photography spots, and wildlife viewing areas. America’s 63 National Parks are busier than ever, so we help you decide what places are worth the crowds and where you can find solitude. We identify the peak months of visitation and the busiest places in each park, whether you are attracted to those spots or want to avoid them altogether.

Whether you are looking to camp, backpack, or stay in a lodge, we cover the options, both inside and outside of the park. We also include insider tips and nearby attractions to help you make the most of your vacation.

We hope you enjoy A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks and thank you for your support!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

September 20, 2023 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service (70%), Bureau of Land Management (12%), National Park Service (10%), other (8%)

Established 1978

3,028 miles

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/cdt

Overview

We decided to write about the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) now, since Tiff recently finished backpacking the entire 512-mile Wyoming section of the route. The CDT stretches 3,028 miles from the Crazy Cook Monument on the border with Mexico north to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The official trail is known as the “red route,” with popular alternatives called “blue routes” detouring through sections like New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness (which 95% of thru-hikers choose). Tiff was supported by Scott along portions of the trail and they both backpacked through Yellowstone National Park together. Tiff met dozens of thru-hikers doing the entire trail this year, many of whom were “flip-flopping” after getting stopped north bound (NOBO) by snowy Colorado mountains so switching to a south bound (SOBO) direction to finish.

Highlights

Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Gila Wilderness, El Malpaís National Monument, South Pass City State Park, Wind River Range, Lemhi Pass, Chinese Wall, Triple Divide Pass

Must-Do Activity

It takes the average thru-hiker 147 days to complete the trek (including “zeros days”), but you can get a feel for the experience on shorter point-to-point or loop hikes. We have done the Rocky Mountain National Park section as a long day hike and Scott has backpacked the minimum 40 miles to see the famous Chinese Wall in Montana’s Lewis and Clark National Forest. We had all three of our backcountry campsites to ourselves along Yellowstone National Park’s 67-mile stretch of CDT and went a full day without seeing another person near the park’s Idaho border.

Best Trail

The Wind River Range in Wyoming’s Bridger National Forest is probably the most scenic stretch of mountains on the entire CDT. Many thru-hikers detour to a blue route to see beautiful, but overcrowded Titcomb Basin and the Cirque of the Towers (actually in neighboring Shoshone National Forest). Read more about our 2020 trip (mostly) following the CDT 120 miles through the range in our newspaper article.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The CDT goes right past crowded Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park’s Lower Geyser Basin, although there are other areas of colorful hot springs like those near Heart Lake (pictured).

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

Fees apply if you camp inside or drive into Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks

Road Conditions

Much of the trail is actually walking dirt roads and some paved roads, especially in New Mexico. Access roads to certain trailheads can be very rough and require driving long unpaved sections, such as the 30 miles to busy Big Sandy Trailhead in Bridger National Forest.

Camping

Camping is dispersed except for designated sites (permit required) in Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks.

Related Sites

Appalachian National Scenic Trail (Georgia to Maine)

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (California-Oregon-Washington)

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (Mississippi-Alabama-Tennessee)