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Lava Viewing Tips
Lava Viewing Tips
You’ll also find many of these tips once you get to the end of the road at the lava viewing area in Volcano National Park. While we don’t have the experience the National Park Rangers do, we do have a perspective they may not. So we present to your our list of lava viewing tips.
- Bring a friend. Wandering around in a lava filed at night sucks. The only thing worse is doing it alone.
- Bring lots of water. If the normally dry conditions at the lava viewing area aren’t enough, you will get thirsty as you near the flow. Maybe it’s psychological and maybe it depends on how long the hike is on the day you’re there but one thing is for sure. You will enjoy yourself much more if you have water at the halfway point of your day.
- Bring food if you’re the type that gets hungry. Especially if you bring kids, they’ll need the energy and you’ll need less complaining on your hike back -which can take around 2 hours.
- If you fry, bring sunscreen. The black lava fields will seem like they’re sucking the sun directly down through your body on a hot day. Conditions will determine this at the outset but the conditions may easily change by the halfway point in your hike.
- If you’re going at night, bring flashlights and extra batteries. Panic will set in if there’s no moon and no flashlight. For many the best time to go is early in the morning or in the evening around sunset. It’s easier to forget the flashlight if you leave around sunset.
- If your lips chap, bring something for that too. Winds and all sorts of conditions exist out on the flow. Bring lip balm even at night.
- Wear boots or some solid shoes. The lava gets hot when you start walking across it. Rubber slippahs will get stuck in the hot stuff. You simply will not make it back with one slippah or shoe for that matter. Someone will have to carry you (dangerous) or go get extra shoes for you which would probably would take anywhere from 3 hours if you have extras in the car or up to 8 hours to get into town and back. No one wants to go get you shoes so you can keep from bleeding to death on your way out of the lava.
- Bring something to carry it all in. Big packs aren’t necessary but backpacks are much better than holding a walmart bag.
- Maybe some binoculars.
- Maybe some gloves. The lava can be razor-sharp. If you trip and fall on the lava you will probably cut your hand(s). Gloves can prevent this and they can also keep you warm at night.
- Cameras and extra batteries.
- Bring a hat. Especially if you’re folically-challenged.
- If you’re with a group, bring light-sticks. These are the kind of sticks that glow different colors. You can get them at Long’s drugs or Walmart. Each person can attach a different color to they are easy to identify from a distance at night.
Got anything else to add? Know of anything special to bring that will help others enjoy their lava viewing or lava hiking experience? Share by registering and posting a comment on this post.