Lava Tree State Monument is a public park located southeast of Pāhoa in the

Puna District Puna is one of the 9 districts of Hawaii County on the Island of Hawaii (Big Island; County of Hawaii). It is located on the windward side (east side) of the island and shares borders with South Hilo district in the north and Kaū district i ...

on the

island of Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of th ...

. It preserves lava molds of the tree trunks that were formed when a

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

flow swept through a forested area in 1790.

Park Information

Features

A footpath forms a loop through the park. Like all Hawaii state parks, there is no charge for parking and entry. Facilities include restrooms, picnic tables, and 3 covered structures to provide refuge from the rain or sun. It is open daily during daylight hours only, since there are no lights on the path. No camping, and no mountain bikes are allowed in the park. There are no water fountains at the park; bring your own water. Although there is a paved path, tree roots have lifted and separated parts of the path so toddlers and the elderly may need assistance.

Directions

From the

Hawaii Belt Road The Hawaii Belt Road is a modern name for the Māmalahoa Highway and consists of Hawaii state Routes 11, 19, and 190 that encircle the Island of Hawaii. The southern section, between Hilo and Kailua-Kona is numbered as Route 11. The section betw ...

(State Route 11), take Highway 130, known as Keaau-Pāhoa Road, toward the town of Pāhoa. Bypass the first intersection that would take you into Pāhoa by staying to the left. Continue to the traffic light where Pāhoa Bypass Road, Keaau-Pāhoa Rd and Pāhoa-Kapoho roads meet. At this intersection, make a left onto Highway 132, Pāhoa-Kapoho Road. Continue for about to Lava Tree Road on your left. The park is located on your right, about down Lava Tree Road.

History

The land was once part of the extensive ranch of

William Herbert Shipman William Herbert Shipman (1854–1943) was a businessman with an American background who was from Hawaii. He grew up and conducted his business on the island of Hawaii. One estate of his family was used to preserve the nēnē, an endangered species ...

. Although

ancient Hawaii Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadicall ...

ans knew the molds were from a lava flow, one of the first to propose that they were from former trees was

Rufus Anderson Lyman Rufus Anderson Lyman (June 23, 1842 – July 4, 1910) was a son of a missionary who became a lawyer and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii, founded the Paauhau Sugar Plantation Company, and had many notable descendants. Life He was born on Ju ...

. It was closed in May 2018 due to the eruption of Kīlauea when lava flows approached the park.

Gallery

File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC02.JPG, Path File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC03.JPG, Lava Trees File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC04.JPG, Shelter File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC05.JPG, Lava Trees File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC06.JPG, Lava Trees File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC07.JPG, Lava Trees and path File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC09.JPG, Inside view of lava tree with moss File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC10.JPG, Large lava tree that fell and broke apart File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC11.JPG, Lava tree File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC13.JPG, Lava formation inside one of the lava trees File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC14.JPG, Plant life File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC15.JPG, Plant life File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC16.JPG, Orchid growing in the wild File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC19.JPG, Plant life near deep cut in the ground File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC23.JPG, Plant life with morning dew File:Hawaii Lava Tree State Park SAC26.JPG, Plant life and moss growing inside trunk of lava tree

References

External links

Official site"Tree Molds"
USGS Photo Glossary page

on Hawaiiweb.com (archived) {{authority control State parks of Hawaii Protected areas of Hawaii (island) Individual trees in Hawaii