Volcano Heritage Corridor

An article introcing the Volcano Heritage Corridor on the Big Island of Hawaii. See also Big Island Travel Guide and our guides Other Hawaiian Islands.

A grand opening celebration for the Volcano Heritage Corridor Drive on the Big Island of Hawaii was held on April 24, 2003.

Imagine yourself standing at the very location where the sun makes its first strike on Hawaiian land as it rises over the island chain: Cape Kumukahi. This place, of special significance to Hawaiians, can now be part of any visitor’s discovery of the Big Island with the help of the new Volcano Heritage Corridor Drive Guide. Rare black sand beaches, thermal ponds, tropical rainforests, orchid farms and nurseries are now easily found with the help of the guide.

On Thursday, April 24, 2003, the Volcano Heritage Corridor Drive Guide will make its debut. Ceremonies will begin with a blessing at the Keaau Farmers Market at 1:30 p.m. with entertainment and refreshments. Mayor Harry Kim and other dignitaries will be on hand to celebrate the collaborative effort that has resulted in this latest heritage drive-guide. The Volcano Heritage Drive Guide joins the much-heralded Hilo-Hamakua Heritage Drive Guide that launched in 1997.

The Volcano Heritage Drive Guide was originally intended as an information piece for "Harry’s Highway," the cinder road in Kalapana activated by Mayor Harry Kim and community organizations. The focus changed when active lava flows returned to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The Heritage Guide starts from either Keaau or Volcano, and links the Kalapana Road with the better-known Volcano Highway through the Keaau "hub." There will be distinctive brown-and-white Volcano Heritage Corridor highway signs vividly marked with an erupting volcano and "Aloha!" to mark points of interest. Initial Visitor Center stops and sites were selected because they are immediately adjacent to the main highway, have safe turnoffs and parking, accessible restrooms and drinking water, and have volunteered to represent all community interests for the program start-up phase.

The Volcano Heritage Drive Guide is intended to attract a more adventurous leisure traveler in rental cars, and not busloads of visitors. The objective is to "slow-down" visitors who use the area as a thoroughfare instead of a destination. The goal is to capture approximately 3% of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park’s 2.2 million annual visitors and have them spend a few hours or days in the Volcano-Keaau area exploring.

When the Hawaii Island Economic Board-sponsored Hilo-Hamakua Heritage Drive Guide opened in 1997, it was an instant success. Busy parking lots and storefronts attest to the simple message of consultant David Bucey, "Stop ‘em safely, park ‘em, give ‘em restrooms and food, and THEN provide visitor information on the area." The project is a monument to sustainable community development and involvement. "It has been so important for us to identify the things and places we wanted to share with visitors, and also just as important to keep some just for ourselves," says Lucille Chung, one of the original planners.

Follow the new Volcano Heritage Drive Guide’s map just nine miles from Keaau to Pahoa Village’s wooden sidewalks and Visitors Center. The guide then interprets the Lower Puna triangle; Kapoho Road sites such as Lava Tree State Park, "Red Road," or, head to Ahalanui Park’s fresh water thermal pond. Continue along Highway 137 past MacKenzie State Recreational Area to where the road ends at Kalapana. A short stroll will result in a breathtaking view of one of earth’s newest black sand beaches. Visit Kalapana’s Painted Church on the drive back to Pahoa. Restock on refreshments and continue the Volcano Heritage Drive. The guide also provides drive-time options and cautions against non-paved or potentially hazardous locations.

Between Keaau and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Highway 11 transitions to tropical rainforest as it climbs to 4,000 feet above sea level. Along the way, the guide points out possible rest stops in Mountain View and Glenwood. The section on Volcano Village divulges information about the lively mix of artists, scientists and active folks of all ages that frequent the area. One recommended stop among several is at the enormously successful Volcano Farmers Market at Cooper Center for island flowers, locally-grown vegetables and herbs.

A companion web site to the Volcano Heritage Drive Guide, www.hawaii-culture.com, will be updated continuously to supplement the hard-copy brochures displayed at airports and visitor centers. No dramatic or immediate visitor number increases are anticipated. Instead, slow growth of the program insures that travelers can discover the Hilo-Hamakua Coast, and now the Keaau-Volcano area, without negatively impacting the areas’ leisurely pace or quality of life.

This latest Volcano Heritage Drive Guide from Hilo to Volcano will be monitored during a six-month trial period by community groups for public input to ensure that signage placement and locations are appropriate. The dynamic and simple nature of the project makes it easy to adjust, and for public comment to be an ongoing dialogue for successful rural community development. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Department of Transportation, and the State Highways Division with support from County of Hawaii Public Works Traffic Division are providing technical assistance in safe sign placement.

Volcano Heritage Drive Guides are available at the Hilo and Kona airports, all visitor information centers and by contacting Hawaii Economic Development Board.

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