Some of the most common questions we hear from guests are about the volcanoes. How many are there? Which ones are active? Can you actually see one erupting? If you’re staying with us in Volcano Village, you’re in the right place to find out.
The short answer is that Hawaii has six active volcanoes, and five of them are on or near the Big Island. Two of the island’s best-known volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, are just minutes from our Hawaii National Park vacation rental.
The Big Picture: Hawaii’s Volcanic Origins
Every Hawaiian island was formed by volcanic activity. The entire chain stretches over 1,500 miles across the Pacific and includes more than 129 volcanoes, both above and below sea level. The eight main islands are made up of 15 volcanoes, though most of them stopped erupting millions of years ago.
What makes Hawaii unique is the hotspot. Unlike most volcanoes around the world, which form along tectonic plate boundaries, Hawaii sits over a plume of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth’s mantle. As the Pacific Plate drifts slowly northwest, this hotspot keeps pushing magma up through the ocean floor. That’s why the islands get progressively older as you move northwest. Kauai, at the far end of the chain, is about five million years old. The Big Island, sitting directly over the hotspot, is still being formed.
How Many Active Volcanoes Are in Hawaii?
According to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Hawaii currently has six active volcanoes:
On the Big Island:
- Kīlauea
- Mauna Loa
- Hualālai
- Mauna Kea
- Kamaʻehuakanaloa (formerly Lōʻihi Seamount)
On Maui:
- Haleakalā
The exact definition of “active” varies among geologists. The U.S. Geological Survey classifies these six Hawaiian volcanoes as active because they have erupted in relatively recent geologic history and continue to be monitored for future activity.
The Volcanoes of the Big Island
The Island of Hawaiʻi is home to five volcanoes, all of which are geologically young. The oldest, Kohala, formed about one million years ago, while the youngest, Kīlauea, is still actively building new land today.
Kīlauea
Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth and the main attraction at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. It erupted almost continuously from 1983 to 2018, and there have been several summit eruptions since December 2020. When Kīlauea is actively erupting, you can often see the glow from overlooks along Crater Rim Drive, especially after dark.
The 2018 eruption was the largest in at least 200 years, reshaping the summit and destroying hundreds of homes in Lower Puna. But eruptions here are typically not the explosive kind you see in movies. Kīlauea produces slow-moving lava flows, which is part of why the park stays open, and visitors can safely watch from designated areas.
From our rentals, you can be at the park entrance in about 5 minutes.
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on Earth. It rises 13,681 feet above sea level and extends another 16,000 feet below the ocean’s surface. If you measure from its base on the seafloor, it’s taller than Mount Everest.
Mauna Loa has erupted 34 times since 1843, most recently in November 2022. That eruption lasted about two weeks and sent lava flows to within about two miles of Daniel K. Inouye Highway (commonly called Saddle Road). It was the first Mauna Loa eruption in 38 years, and people came from all over the island to watch.
The summit of Mauna Loa is inside the national park, and there are backcountry trails for experienced hikers who want to explore it. But most visitors experience it from a distance, watching its massive silhouette rise above the landscape.
Hualālai
Hualālai overlooks the Kona coast and is the third most active volcano on the Big Island. Its last eruption was in 1801, which created much of the shoreline around Kailua-Kona and the land where the Kona International Airport now sits.
Two hundred years without an eruption might sound like a long time, but geologists consider Hualālai potentially active. There’s been seismic activity and ground deformation in recent decades, suggesting magma is still moving beneath the surface.
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is the tallest point in Hawaiʻi at 13,803 feet and is famous for the astronomical observatories at its summit. It last erupted between 4,500 and 6,000 years ago. Although it has been quiet for thousands of years, the U.S. Geological Survey still classifies Mauna Kea as an active volcano because it has erupted in relatively recent geologic history and could erupt again in the future.
If you’re interested in watching the sunrise or stargazing from above the clouds, Mauna Kea is one of the best spots on the island.
Kamaʻehuakanaloa (Lōʻihi Seamount)
About 20 miles southeast of the Big Island, an underwater volcano is slowly building toward the surface. Kamaʻehuakanaloa (formerly known as Lōʻihi Seamount) sits about 3,000 feet below sea level and last erupted in 1996 during an earthquake swarm of more than 4,000 events.
Scientists estimate it could eventually rise above sea level and become Hawaiʻi’s newest island in tens of thousands of years. For now, it’s a reminder that Hawaii is still growing.
What About the Other Islands?
The older islands in the chain have volcanoes too, but most of them are long extinct. Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Lanai were all formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago, but their volcanoes have been dormant so long they’re considered extinct.
The exception is Haleakalā on Maui. It last erupted somewhere between 400 and 600 years ago, which is recent enough that geologists still consider it active. Haleakalā National Park is famous for sunrise viewing from the summit, though the volcanic landscape there looks very different from what you’ll experience on the Big Island.
Where to Stay on the Big Island to Experience the Volcanoes
You can visit Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on a day trip from Kona or the resort areas, but staying nearby changes the experience completely. The park is open 24 hours, and some of the best moments happen at dawn and after dark, when the glow from an active eruption lights up the night sky.
From Volcano Village, you’re five minutes from the park entrance. You can watch the sunset from the crater rim, grab dinner at one of the local restaurants, and go back after dark to see the lava glow without worrying about a two-hour drive back to your hotel. And if a new eruption starts while you’re here, you’re already close to the action. Guests staying on the Kona side have to make a two-hour drive just to see what’s happening. You can be at the crater overlook in minutes.
When you’re ready to experience the Big Island’s volcanoes for yourself, book your stay with us and make Volcano Village your home base. You’ll be just a short drive from one of the most dynamic volcanic landscapes on Earth.