HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi - The annual National Park Week celebration is April 22 to April 30. At Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, everyone is invited to a fee-free day and a family-fun “Journey at the Summit" event on April 22, to participate in many other free programs all week long!
All events are free, but entrance fees may apply. Some programs are sponsored by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association. Programs are subject to change or cancellation without notice. Mark your calendar for these National Park Week events:
National Park Week “Journey at the Summit" Family Event - FREE! National Park Week begins Saturday, April 22 with a fee-free day for everyone and an adventurous family fun event, Journey at the Summit. Families are invited on an exciting role-playing quest and will receive an adventure pack with directions to activity stations located in the park. Roll the dice at each adventure station to learn what your family’s quest will entail. Stations are located within a half mile of Kīlauea Visitor Center and at Kahuku. Once the quests are complete, return to the welcome tent to claim a prize!
When: Saturday, April 22 anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Where: Welcome tents will be located at Kīlauea Visitor Center and at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station
The Kaʻū Field System Farming the Rock. Walk along an old ranch road to the remnants of the field system in Kahuku. Learn how pre-western contact Hawaiians intensively farmed this area and fed the large population of Kahuku. This is an easy 1/2 mile, one-hour hike to Kipuka Kāʻopapa and back. Free!
When: Saturday, April 22 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station
Pu‘u o Lokuana Cinder Cone is an easy 45-minute, 1-hour hike. Walk the 0.4 mile loop and learn about how a cinder cone is formed and the various uses of this hill over time. Enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka‘ū from its peak. Why is (and was) it considered a kumu waiwai (a source of wealth) by the many different inhabitants of Kahuku? Free!
When: Sunday, April 23 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station
Movement Patterns of the Endemic ʻIo (Hawaiian Hawk). ʻIo, the only hawk endemic to Hawaiʻi is considered a symbol of royalty in Hawaiian culture and remains protected today. Currently, ʻio are found only on the Island of Hawaiʻi. They can be found in many habitat types from urban environments to agricultural and forested landscapes. Wildlife biologist Dr. Kristina Paxton discusses exciting new research that reveals how ʻio move across their island home. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park programs and sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply.
When: Tuesday, April 25 at 7 p.m.
Where: Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium
Hi‘iaka & Pele. Discover two fascinating Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pele-honua-mea (Pele) and Hi‘iaka-i-ka-poli-o-pele, and the natural phenomena they represent. Visitors will experience the sisters through the epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on this moderate two-mile, 90-minute hike. Free!
When: Saturday, April 29 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station
Bark Ranger Day. Don’t let sleeping dogs lie, treat your furry friend to a long walk on Bark Ranger Day! The park will close Mauna Loa Road to vehicles on Sunday, April 30 just so you can strut your mutt up and down this scenic shady road. Make sure to bag and remove your pup’s poo, keep your pet leashed and respect wildlife. Want to really get that tail wagging? Make your dog a Bark Ranger! Visit the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Assocation store at Kīlauea Visitor Center or at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station, take the pledge, get the certificate and celebrate with some Bark Ranger bling!
When: Sunday, April 30 from dawn to dusk
Where: Mauna Loa Road past Kīpukapuaulu
Realms and Divisions of Kahuku. Discover the classification system, the realms and the vertical and horizontal land divisions that have been used in Hawaiʻi for centuries. This is a moderately easy one-mile, 90-minute hike on Kamakapaʻa Trail. Free!
When: Sunday, April 30 at 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station
Can’t be here in person? Connect virtually! Engage with us on Instagram and Facebook at @HawaiiVolcanoesNPS during National Park Week and share your special moments in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park by tagging @HawaiiVolcanoesNPS in your posts and using the hashtags #YourParkStory and #NationalParkWeek. For other upcoming events, check the park calendar.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service