Quick Stats
Creation Date
August 1, 1916
Entrance Fee
$10 per car per week
Time Zone
Hawaii (GMT-10 Daylight, GMT-11 Standard)
Lowest Elevation
0 feet at Pacific Ocean
Highest Elevation
13,667 feet at Mauna Loa Summit
Lowest Average Temp
50°F in January
Record Low Temp
31°F in 1983
Highest Average Temp
73°F in September
Record High Temp
93°F in 1983
Our Last Visit
August 2009
Park Creation Timeline
1916
On August 1, 1916, Hawaii National Park is created. This is a combination park of the volcanic areas on the islands of both Maui and the Big Island.
1960
On September 13, 1960, the islands are divided, with the land on Maui becoming
Haleakala National Park and the land on the Big Island becoming Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
1980
International Biosphere Reserve status is given to the park by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as Hawaiian Islands, along with
Haleakala National Park.
1987
The park is named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
Animals and Plants
There are no large mammals in the park. The only land mammals are several species of rat, and several domestic animals let go feral. All land mammal life on the island was brought by man and many have been quite destructive. The only known native mammals are bats and seals.
The only native reptile is the sea turtle. Some others have been brought by man, such as chameleons.
With the exception of migrants, all birds in Hawaii are endemic, that is, they exist nowhere else. The most well-known is the nene, the Hawaiian goose, and the state's official bird. It is critically endangered, having been brought to the brink by the devastation caused by introduced species.
With an elevation change of more than 13,000 feet, plants are widely varied through climates ranging from desert to tropical rain forest. There are at least 1,000 native species of flowering plants in Hawaii. 90% of these are endemic, found only in Hawaii. 30% are threatened or endangered, again because of the devastation of invasive species and over-grazing by domestic animals who have no predators in Hawaii.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Info at (808) 985-6000
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