How to See the Kīlauea Volcano Lava Fountains

Last Updated on November 20, 2025 by Charlotte

Two people standing at a lookout, watching a tall, bright lava fountain erupting inside the Kīlauea caldera.

Watching lava fountains shoot thousands of feet into the air at Kīlauea Volcano is one of Hawaii’s most spectacular natural phenomena, but catching these incredible eruptions requires more than just luck. After multiple visits to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park during active lava fountaining episodes, we’ve learned that timing, preparation, and knowing exactly where to go can make the difference between witnessing an unforgettable show and missing it entirely. Our guide covers everything you need to know to maximize your chances of seeing Kīlauea’s lava fountains, from the best lava viewing spots to practical tips for dealing with crowds and unpredictable volcanic activity. Now, let’s dive into it!

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How to See Lava Fountains in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Successfully witnessing Kīlauea’s lava fountains comes down to two key factors: timing your visit right and knowing where to position yourself for the best views. Here’s what we’ve learned from multiple successful visits during active lava fountaining eruptions.

Twin Kilauea lava fountains erupting side by side inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Timing is Everything

Catching lava fountain episodes requires a bit of luck and a bit of preparation. Typically, these episodes only last from 4-6 hours, with several weeks or months between episodes. Luckily for us, the National Parks Service is actively monitoring these episodes, and they post daily Kīlauea Volcano updates (usually around 9am) and have live webcams running 24/7.

Wide view of Kīlauea’s crater under a bright blue sky, with rippled volcanic rock stretching across the foreground.

The problem for you, is that if you wait to get confirmation that the lava is erupting, you will have to compete with everyone else who waited to get confirmation too, who are also trying to rush to the park.

Cars driving through misty, overcast weather near Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park during an eruption event.

And once an active eruption is confirmed, the traffic begins, with wait times to enter the park sometimes stretching over 2 hours long!

A glowing red lava river flowing across dark volcanic rock inside the crater.

That’s why I recommend picking a day when there are high volcanic alert levels and just going for it. Yes, it’s a gamble, but much of volcano chasing comes down to luck anyway. Even if the fountains aren’t going when you visit, you can often see an amazing glow from the lava lake lighting up the sky at night, or spend the day exploring the lava tube and petroglyphs.

Best Viewpoints for Seeing the Lava Fountains

While there are a good number of spots where you can see the lava fountaining in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, these ones are my absolute favorite.

A labeled map of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park showing eruption zones and lava fountain viewing areas. Courtesy of NPS

Map of all possible lava fountain viewpoints in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. NPS.

Kīlauea Overlook

In my personal opinion, the Kīlauea Overlook is the easiest place to see the lava fountaining up close, with minimal walking. Compared to the Steam Vents or Volcano House, the parking situation is easier, and the rim of the crater is just a short 2-minute walk away.

Once you reach the crater rim trail, we suggest walking back toward the steam vents / welcome center. As you crest a very small hill, you’ll see that you’re able to get a full-on view of the fountains without the edge of the rim in the way of your view.

A tourist photographing a plume of volcanic smoke rising from the crater on a cloudy day.

Keanakākoʻi Overlook (via the Car Park at the Devastation Trail)

If you’ve seen videos or photos of the lava fountains on the news, these pics were most likely taken from the Keanakākoʻi Overlook. Each time I’ve visited, there’s been a camp of filmmakers, from National Geographic to CBS, with extremely expensive camera gear huddled at this overlook. However, getting to this overlook is not for the weak of heart!

A wide curtain-like fan of lava spraying from a vent, with the crater landscape in view.

The journey from the parking area near the Devastation Trail to the actual overlook is a little over 1 mile (1.6 km) each way, along a paved road that is blocked off to cars.

A quiet, closed road leading toward a huge plume of volcanic steam in the distance.

On one of my visits, it was a cloudless day, and the walk along this road was incredibly hot, with no breeze, and we all got wicked sunburns. In comparison, on my most recent visit, it was spitting rain, probably 50°F (10°C) and I couldn’t feel the tip of my nose or my fingertips because I was so cold and sopping wet!

A dramatic nighttime lava fountain glowing orange against dark volcanic cliffs.

I guess what I am trying to get at here is that if you are out of shape, or if anyone in your group is elderly, or a very small child, they might have a hard time with the walk to this lookout.

Keanakākoʻi Overlook Trail Stats

Distance: 30 minutes (1 mile / 1.6 km) each way, over mostly paved terrain if parked at the Devastation car park.
Trail condition: Mostly paved, but the final section of this trail is over loose cinder and rocks.
Where to park: Devastation Trail Parking Lot, or along Crater Rim Drive.
Facilities: There are porta-potties near the car park, but no facilities at the lookout itself.

Volcano House + Steam Vents

In years past, we used to visit the Volcano House and Steam Vents as our preferred viewing spots. However, during our most recent visits to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the parking situation at these two lookouts has been INSANE. Sometimes the lava fountaining episodes last as little as 5 hours, so we did not want to waste our precious time looking for parking.

Why Seeing Hawaii’s Lava Fountains Is Worth It

I’m not being dramatic when I say that watching lava fountains shoot up from Kīlauea was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen in my whole life. There’s something absolutely mind-blowing about standing there watching the Earth literally create itself right in front of you. The sound of the fountains is so loud, it’s like standing next to a jet engine while a plane is taking off. Even wilder, the volcano sometimes forms a mini tornado, or “volnado” of volcanic ash that swirls up into the giant sulphuric mushroom cloud.

A red lava fountain erupting beneath a plume of white smoke drifting across the crater.

You might find this charming, but some of Travel Buddy’s family live in Volcano and are volunteer park rangers. Because of this, we’ve spent years exploring the park, and seeing the lava in all of its forms: a lava lake, lava river, lava glow, lava flowing into the ocean, but out of all those experiences, the LAVA FOUNTAINS are the most mind-blowing.

A bright lava fountain erupting beside a flowing channel of lava surrounded by crater rock.

One of my favorite things about this new lava fountaining phase that started around December 2024 is how excited all the tourists are! They are so cute! When the lava starts, everyone starts sprinting to the crater edge together. At the crater’s edge, you’ll be standing shoulder by shoulder with strangers, all getting a little emotional while watching the massive fountains of molten rock dancing in the crater like a geyser. It’s one of those moments that makes you feel both completely insignificant and incredibly lucky to be alive at the same time.

hick volcanic fog (vog) drifting through the crater, illuminated by a soft sunset glow.

Trust me, even if you have to deal with terrible traffic and get completely soaked in the rain (like we did), it’s worth every second. At the time of writing this, we are on episode 36 of the lava fountains. We don’t know how much longer this phase of eruptions will last, so if you’re in Hawaii, give it your best shot.

Practical Visiting Information for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

When the volcano is erupting, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park can become a bit of a traffic nightmare, so here’s some practical visiting information that you should know before you go.

Getting There

The Kīlauea Volcano (and the lava fountains) are located inside of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. If you are flying in to visit, the nearest airport is the Hilo Airport (ITO). From the Hilo Airport, it is around a 50 minute drive to the park.

The Big Island actually has a larger Kona International Airport (KOA) on the opposite coast, which is around a 2-hour drive from the Volcano park. If you’re coming to the Volcano Park from Kona, we prefer taking the Saddle Road, which cuts through the center of the island, as it is a wider and straighter road than driving around the perimeter of the island. Just know that the Saddle Road can be prone to fog, especially at night.

Hours and Admission

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as well as on all holidays. However, the toll booths are only open during standard business hours, which are from ~9am to 5pm.

Entry Fees and Passes

Single Entry: $30 per car
Hawaii Tri-Park Annual Pass: $55
America the Beautiful Pass: $80

If you plan to visit other National Parks in Hawaii like the Haleakalā National Park on Maui, or the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park in Kona highly suggest that you consider the Hawaii Tri-Park Pass.

You can read more about the different passes on the NPS website.

Free Entrance Days

All USA National Parks have free entrance days on these specific holidays:

Thursday, January 9 — National Day of Mourning for President James Earl Carter Jr.
Monday, January 20 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Saturday, April 19 — First Day of National Park Week
Thursday, June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day
Monday, August 4 — Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
Saturday, September 27 — National Public Lands Day
Tuesday, November 11 — Veterans Day

Facilities and Accessibility

If it is your first time visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the friendly rangers at the Welcome Center are a great place to start. But if the lava is actively fountaining, we suggest that you rush directly to your preferred viewing point, you can always come back later! Due to construction on the original Visitor’s Center, for now (2025) there are some very basic pit toilets near many of the trailheads, and porta potties near the Welcome Center.

Volcano House

In terms of other facilities, the Volcano House is the park’s only hotel and restaurant, and the only place where you can buy potable bottled water. However, the Volcano House Restaurant tends to get packed, and wait times for dining can be super long.

Volcano Park Accessibility and Health Concerns

As far as accessibility goes, both the Welcome Center and Volcano House are wheelchair accessible, and both the Kīlauea Overlook and the Keanakākoʻi Overlook are mostly paved, although the very very ends of these trails have gravel. That being said, being so close to an erupting volcano does have some health concerns that go beyond mobility.

When erupting, the volcano pumps out volcanic fog, otherwise known as “vog”, which heavily pollutes the air and can cause problems for people with respiratory sensitivities like asthma. Second, because the park is at such a high elevation, it is really easy to get sunburned, even in weird places like your scalp.

One last thing, and Travel Buddy cannot stress this enough: DO NOT go off-trail or wander around areas that aren’t designated viewing spots, especially in forested areas. The ground around here is riddled with steam vents and lava tubes, and you could literally fall through a crack in the earth and get cooked alive. I know it sounds dramatic, but this is legit dangerous. So please stick to the established trails and viewing areas because the park rangers know what they’re doing when they rope things off.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you only remember to pack one thing, make it snacks, water, and close toes shoes! Supplies around the volcano park are limited.

Closed-toe shoes
Warm layers
Rain jacket
Sunglasses
Water bottles
Snacks
Camera
Sunscreen and a hat
Binoculars
Headlamp or flashlight if you are visiting in the nighttime

Lava fountaining episodes typically last 4-6 hours, with a few rare ones lasting up to a week, although they can be shorter or longer depending on volcanic activity. Between episodes, you might still see some lava oozing or a glow from the crater, but the dramatic fountains are definitely the main event worth timing your visit for.

Volcanic activity at Kīlauea is constantly changing. For the most current information, check the Kīlauea Volcano updates (usually around 9am), the live webcams , or sign up for their eruption email alerts. Even when fountains aren’t active, the park offers plenty to explore.

The volcanic fog (vog) produced during eruptions can be problematic for people with respiratory sensitivities like asthma or allergies. If you have breathing concerns, check air quality reports before visiting and consider bringing any necessary medications. The park’s high elevation can also exacerbate symptoms. Some guests choose to bring a N95 respirator with them to protect their airways from particulate matter.

Yes, you definitely need a car to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park is located in a remote area of the Big Island with few public transportation options. Even if you could somehow get to the park entrance without a car, the viewpoints for lava fountains are spread throughout the park and require driving between locations. Plus, if you’re trying to catch an active eruption, you’ll want the flexibility to move quickly between different overlooks or leave if conditions change.

Ready to Plan Your Trip to the Big Island?

Catching these lava fountains takes some planning and definitely some luck. But after dealing with crazy traffic, epic sunburns, and getting absolutely soaked in freezing rain during my visits, I can tell you what actually works. I hope these tips help you have your own incredible, life-changing lava fountain experience on the Big Island! Trust me, when you’re standing there watching molten rock dance hundreds of feet in the air while feeling that deep rumble in your chest, you’ll understand why people become totally obsessed with volcano chasing. It’s pure magic.