Sight · Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
A quick keepsake photo with the park’s lava-stone sign.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes audio tourRecorded for this area
Rain That Keeps the Ground Bare“Rain helps keep parts of the Kaʻū Desert bare. Kīlauea releases sulfur dioxide, which trade winds can carry across this area.”
Plays near Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Sign — Highway 11 South in the Parkwolf Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
This is the lava-stone Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park sign on the south Highway 11 approach from Kaʻū, separate from the staffed entrance farther along the road. It’s a photo stop, not a volcano viewpoint. I’d take the picture if you’re already passing, but I wouldn’t make a detour for a sign. Stop only where you can pull fully off the highway in a safe, legal place.
The broad dark-stone wall, orange-and-white letters and National Park Service arrowhead make the recognizable arrival shot. Pose with the lettering if there’s a safe place to stand; don’t use the highway shoulder to get closer.
Wildlife
600 sightingsHawaiian Goose (Nēnē)Most seen around 5 PMSighting map
35 sightingsGreen Sea TurtleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
36 sightingsHawaiian Hawk ('Io)Most seen around 11 AMSighting map
41 sightingsBlack NoddyMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
96 sightingsWhite-tailed TropicbirdMost seen around noonSighting map
24 sightingsHawai'i 'ElepaioMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Hawaiʻi Volcanoes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyFootprints Trail1.6 mi · 1 hr · 1.7 mi awayAn easy, exposed walk to a shelter interpreting Kaʻū Desert footprints.
ChallengingKaʻū Desert Trail to Pepeiao9.1 mi · 7 hr · 2.6 mi awayA cairn-marked crossing to a remote backcountry camp.Parkwolf’s Hawaiʻi Volcanoes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
