Mahagnao Volcano also known as part of ( Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park) is a dormant

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...

located in the Barangay Mahagnao part of the municipality of

Burauen Burauen (IPA: u'ɾaʊen, officially the Municipality of Burauen (; ), is a First Income Class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 52,511 people. Etymology The name “Burauen ...

province of

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. It is also bounded by the municipalities of

La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...

and

MacArthur MacArthur or Macarthur may refer to: Arts and media * INSS MacArthur, a fictional starship featured in the science fiction novel ''The Mote in God's Eye'' * ''MacArthur'' (1977 film), a movie biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur * ' ...

. The area is mostly composed of wetland forests and also the birth of many rivers and streams flowing on many part of Burauen and on its neighboring towns. Because of numerous streams, rivers and similar kind bodies of water, Burauen has been known with its nicked name as the Spring Capital of Leyte. Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park is about 65 kilometers south of Tacloban City and 18 kilometers away from the town center of Burauen.

Physical Features

The summit of the volcano is a steep-walled heavily forested crater that opens to the south with a peak elevation of . Located on the volcano flanks are

fumarole A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or another rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcani ...

s and

mudpot A mudpot, or mud pool, is a type of acidic hot spring, or fumarole, with limited water. It usually takes the form of a pool of bubbling mud, as a result of the acid and microorganisms decomposing surrounding rock into clay and mud. Description ...

s. On the southern flank of the volcano, two

crater lake Crater Lake ( Klamath: ) is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the Western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is a tourist attraction for its deep blue color and water clarity. T ...

s are located, Lakes Danao and Malagsom. Hot Springs are located on the southern shore of Lake Danao (not to be confused with the other

Lake Danao Lake Danao may refer to lakes in the Philippines: * Lake Danao (Cebu) in the province of Cebu * Lake Danao (Leyte) in the province of Leyte * Lake Danao (Negros) in the province of Negros Oriental * Lake Danao, also called Cabilao Island Lake, on C ...

which is located near

Ormoc City Ormoc (IPA: Help:IPA/Tagalog, �oɾˈmok, officially the City of Ormoc (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, independent component city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...

and part of Lake Danao Natural Park). Lake Malagsom is a crater lake with green acidic water. Rocks primarily found on the volcano are

andesite Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomina ...

Eruptions

An eruption was reported to have occurred in 1895. It is a preatic eruption

Listings

The

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS, ; ) is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide information on the activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, as well as other specialized information and ...

(PHIVOLCS) classifies Mahagnao as Inactive volcano. Although the volcano has been inactive, it is classified as potentially active due to the active thermal features of the mountain.

Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park

Mahagnao Volcano is the focal point of the ''Mahagnao Volcano National Park'' created on August 27, 1937 with ''Proclamation No. 184'' with an area encompassing . Under the ''National Integrated Protected Areas System'' (NIPAS) of the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR; ) is the Executive Departments of the Philippines, executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the conservation, management, development, and proper use of the cou ...

, the park was renamed to Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park with ''Proclamation No. 1157'' on February 3, 1998. The 341-hectare Mahagnao Volcano and Natural Park, an

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

site which re-opened in June, 2022 is a new

campsite Campsite, campground, and camping pitch are all related terms regarding a place used for camping (an overnight stay in an outdoor area). The usage differs between British English and American English. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an ...

with different natural attractions - a lake, falls, multi-colored mud,

old-growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...

, with

melastoma ''Melastoma'' is a genus in the family Melastomataceae. It has over 100 species distributed around Southeast Asia, India, north to Japan, south to Australia and the Pacific Islands. The number of species should probably be reduced according to s ...

pods and a lagoon. Calor Hot Spring at the volcano's southern foot is heated by an active thermal feature. The

LGU offers 2 tour packages -- the Tanguile and Bulkan

trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

which end at Malagsum Lake, which features the Philippine long-tailed macaque, green, acidic water and a sanctuary for about 2,000 wild ducks of varied species.

References

External links