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Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

National Parks Traveler Checklist: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

During your visit to Hawaii’s Big Island, why not spend a little time at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, where you can hike through a rain forest and over a solidified lava lake, drive past golden pahoehoe lava flows, and view up-close the goddess Pele’s home. This Traveler’s Checklist will help you plan for your visit to make the most of your time in the park.

Photography In The National Parks: The Yin And Yang Of A Composition

When you look at photos you’ve captured during a visit to a national park unit, do you notice one or more of your shots clearly showing a division of light and dark, or energy and calm, or two different colors, or two different textures? Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson sees this phenomenon in many of her own images, calling it the “yin and yang of a composition.” In this month's column, Rebecca provides examples of this yin-yang concept and how you can look for it in nature with your camera.

Ahu (Cairns) On The Lithified Kilauea Iki Trail Lava Lake, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Stacks of rocks perched on the cracked lithified rock of Kilauea Iki Trail lava lake, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

"Descend through a lush rainforest to the solidified lava lake on the floor of Kīlauea Iki crater. Peer into the vent that erupted to a height of 1900 feet during the eruption of 1959, located below Pu‘u Pua‘i cinder cone."

Rebecca Latson
Ahu On The Lava Lake

Buffalo Soldiers' Legacy Can Be Found At Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

Working with 12-pound hammers, often in pouring rain, the soldiers from the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry worked patiently to forge a 30-mile trail through the sharp lava rock fields to link the summits of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. It was early in the 20th century, and the trail builders were members of the Buffalo Soldiers.

2020 Year In Review: Parks, A Pandemic, And Photography

Despite 2020’s coronavirus pandemic causing cancellation of a number of park photo trips, Traveler’s Rebecca Latson still managed to visit several of the National Park System’s units in a safe, distanced manner. Over the year, Rebecca shared tips, techniques, and favorite places to photograph as well as how to stay safe and healthy while doing so. Here’s a look back at her articles and photos.

Photography In The National Parks: Winter Wonderlands

Winter is one of photographer Rebecca Latson’s two favorite seasons of the year during which to visit a national park. There are fewer people, the vistas are much clearer due to fewer water molecules in the atmosphere, and the landscape looks so much different than it does during the warmer seasons of the year. So, this month’s photo column by Rebecca is about winter photography within the National Park System. Yes, she’s written about this before, but it’s always nice to have a little refresher course for those who regularly read the Traveler, and it’s a good introduction to winter imagery for those readers who are new to the Traveler.

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