It was designated a National Monument back in 1908 by Teddy Roosevelt and thought so highly of at the time as a place of natural beauty and national importance that the President and preservationist added that designation to the lands of caves and spires at the same time he saved Muir Woods and the Grand Canyon.

This is an active place. An active volcano spewing lava and ash on its way from the 4,000 summit of Kilauea until it enters the sea with a steam crash of hot lava with the cool ocean waters. It relays the history of the awesome islands of Hawaii in its most raw, natural sense. Yes, it is beautiful. But it is a beauty showing the power of nature to change landscape in powerful proportions. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park represents a geography like no other in the United States, with an active volcano, rain forests, desert, and the sea.