North America, United States 234 spp. recorded

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is a national park of the United States, located on the island of Hawaiʻi in the state of Hawaii. The park encompasses two active volcanoes: Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's largest shield volcano. The park provides scientists with insight into the development of the Hawaiian Islands and access for studies of volcanism. For visitors, the park offers dramatic volcanic landscapes, glimpses of rare flora and fauna, and a view into the traditional Hawaiian culture connected to these landscapes. The indigenous people of the park, Kanaka Maoli, believed in living a life that did not take up resources. Volcanic eruptions are seen as sacred.

The park was originally established on August 1, 1916, as Hawaii National Park, which was then split into this park and Haleakalā National Park. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park was designated as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980 and a World Heritage Site in 1987. In 2012, the park was depicted on the 14th quarter of the America the Beautiful Quarters series.

Portions of the park, including the visitor center, reopened to the public on September 22, 2018. As of 2026, most of the park is open; however, some road segments and trails are still closed to visitors. The Jaggar Museum and buildings of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory were too damaged by the 2018 events to be used further and were torn down in 2024. Eruptive activity, ground collapses and explosions in the park ceased in early August 2018, and the lull in eruptive activity at Kīlauea continued until an eruption on December 20, 2020, at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Since then, the crater has been intermittently eruptive with lava fountains and flows, though the activity has not been on the scale of the 2018 events.

19.340° N   155.643° W

🦜 Nature

81 Species sighted
12,762 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Oct Best month
DAILY SIGHTING PROBABILITY
<5%
Rare
5–20%
With luck
20–40%
Possible
40–70%
Likely
>70%
Very likely

⭐ Iconic Species

📊 Most Spotted

⭐ Iconic Species

📊 Most Spotted

📊 Most Spotted

Sighting Calendar

How many species you'd see in a dayavg 13 year-round

20
Jan
20
Feb
21
Mar
18
Apr
18
May
17
Jun
19
Jul
19
Aug
17
Sep
21
Oct
18
Nov
16
Dec

Sighting Zones

Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.

  1. Kilauea Iki 2
  2. Kilauea Military Camp Welcome Center
  3. Kīpuka Puaulu Trail
  4. 19.366° N, 155.217° W
  5. Formely Hōlei Sea Arch viewpoint
🏕️ Experience

Essentials

EntrancePaid
TourismHigh
Typical stay
1–2
days
TrailsModerate
World HeritageUNESCO

Climate

Temp °C Rain mm
-20°
0° 0
20° 300
40° 600 mm
18°
18°
18°
19°
19°
20°
21°
22°
21°
21°
20°
19°
Jan99Feb198Mar167Apr128May133Jun122Jul90Aug207Sep124Oct175Nov106Dec130
0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Moderate

Wallace's Line Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.2 Global avg
2.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
171
🐒 Mammals
39
🦎 Reptiles
18
🐸 Amphibians
6
234 Total Species
810 Global average across 340 parks
25 Threatened 20 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
2.6 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
65% Global avg
64%
📊
Coverage (43 species at ≥5% of 234 in the inventory)
26% Global avg
18%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 1 amphibian, 1 reptile)
50% Global avg
39%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
126 Global avg
27
🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
16 Global avg
5
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
30 Global avg
14
🏕️

Experience

Very good

How easy and pleasant is the visit?

3.7 Global avg
3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🌤️ Climate Mixed
Medium
🎟️ Entrance Paid
Low
👥 Tourism High
Low
🥾 Trails Moderate
Medium
🌐 World Heritage Yes
Bonus

What visitors say

Write a review

a-z-animals.com Web excerpt · 2026

“You have a great chance of spotting a Hawaiian goose on your visit. &copy;Wunson/Shutterstock.com The nēnē is Hawai’i’s state bird, a native goose that’s unique to the islands.”

Before you go

When is the best time to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for wildlife?

May–July and October

In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in August–September and November–April.

Can you see a Hawaiian Goose in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?

Yes

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Hawaiian Goose sighting in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on a given day, based on 822 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January, August and October–November (about 50%).

Can you see a ʻApapane in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?

Yes

Over 90% of wildlife watchers report a ʻApapane sighting in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on a given day, based on 1,973 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April–June and September–February (over 90%).

Can you see a Hawaiian Hawk in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?

Yes

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Hawaiian Hawk sighting in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on a given day, based on 317 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April and September (about 40%).

Can you see a 'Oma'o in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?

Yes

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a 'Oma'o sighting in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on a given day, based on 464 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is October (about 70%).

Where in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is wildlife easiest to see?

Around Kilauea Iki 2

The richest sighting zone is around Kilauea Iki 2, followed by Kilauea Military Camp Welcome Center and Kīpuka Puaulu Trail, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.

Is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park good for wildlife watching?

2.5 out of 5

On the Wallace's Line Score, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park rates 2.5/5: 336th of 340 parks worldwide and 58th in North America. 16 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.

⚖️

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