Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park marks the 21st stop on my quest to visit all 63 national parks. That means I’m officially one-third of the way through—and somehow, the goal feels more daunting than ever. Still, with each park I visit, something new lingers with me. A single hike. A historic lodge. A special moment. A central character. At Dry Tortugas, it was the shadowy character of Dr. Samuel Mudd. In Everglades National Park, it was the Python Bounty Hunters. And here, on the Big Island of Hawai’i, it’s the goddess Pele—unapologetic, explosive, and unforgettable – who captured my attention and ignited a fire of curiosity and awe. 

The Science of the Islands

When visiting Hawai’i, it’s hard not to wonder how these islands came to exist. Spend even a short time there, and you’ll hear origin stories that speak to both sides of your brain—science and spirit.

The Hawaiian Islands are the product of volcanoes—fifteen in total, six of which remain active. Let’s pause to appreciate the marvel of walking around in paradise – on top of active volcanoes….mind-blowing.

Unlike most volcanoes that formed at tectonic plate boundaries, Hawai’i’s volcanoes formed in the middle of the Pacific Plate, a process known as the hot spot theory. As the Pacific Plate SLOWLY drifts northwest at a rate of about 5–10 cm per year, it passes over a stationary hot spot—an area of intense heat rising from deep within the Earth’s mantle. This heat melts the rocky crust above it, and the resulting magma pushes through cracks in the Earth’s surface as lava.

That lava cools and hardens on the ocean floor. Over time, layers of lava build upon one another, eventually forming islands. Because of constant movement of the Pacific Plate, the oldest island is Kaua’i. The youngest island, and still growing, is the Big Island, home to Mauna Loa and Kīlauea, two of the world’s most active volcanoes and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Kīlauea alone has added hundreds of acres of land to the island in recent decades.

The Legend of Pele

The other origin story, the one I find more entertaining, is less scientific. But let’s be honest…science isn’t exactly trending these days, is it?

According to Hawaiian mythology, the islands were created by the goddess Pelehonuamea, or Pele—“she who shapes the sacred land.” She is the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, dance, and volcanoes.

There are many versions of her story that differ in details, but they often agree on her family: her mother, Haumea (Earth goddess); her father, the Sky Father; five sisters; and seven brothers. Most accounts place her birth in Kahiki (Tahiti) and describe her as powerful, passionate, temperamental, unpredictable—and locked in a fierce sibling rivalry with her sister Namakaokaha’i, the sea goddess.

My favorite version is told on the National Park Service website. In this tale, Pele’s uncle gives her a magical digging stick. While using it, she accidentally scorches her family’s sacred lands. Fleeing their wrath, she escapes in a canoe, pursued by Namakaokaha’i.

She lands first on Kaua’i and tries to create a pit to call home, but her sister floods it. Pele flees to O’ahu, where the same thing happens. Then to Maui—same story. Finally, on Hawai’i Island (although some place this battle on Maui), the sisters battle and Namakaokaha’i kills Pele’s.  After her death, however,  Pele’s spirit uses the digging stick one last time to form the Halemaʻumaʻu crater at Kīlauea’s summit where she dwells to this day.

Pele Today

Pele is very much alive today. Hike the trails in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and you’ll see signs of her—literally. Pele’s tears, small black glass droplets, and Pele’s hair, fine threads of volcanic glass, are scattered along trails as constant reminders of her presence. Some locals claim she still appears in human form—often as a woman in white, sometimes with a white dog by her side. If you spot that dog, consider it a warning: legend says eruptions often follow.

Pele’s Curses

Due to Pele’s wrathful nature, there are a few tips … or warnings… to heed in order to avoid her curses.

Don’t take lava rocks from the park. Legend says Pele curses those who take rocks from her sacred land. Every year, the park and local post offices receive packages from tourists desperate to reverse the bad luck they encounter after their heists.

Don’t pick the Lehua flower from the Ohi’a tree.

The Ohi’a Lehua tree is the most common native tree in Hawai’i. Legend has it that Pele once met a warrior named Ohi’a and wanted to marry him, but Ohi’a was engaged to a woman named Lehua and he refused Pele’s offer. The refusal angered Pele, and so she turned Ohi’a into a tree. Lehua was devastated. The other gods took pity on her and turned her into the flower that blooms on the tree so they could be together forever. Picking the flower separates the lovers and the result will be rain… or tears from Lehua.

Come Play with Pele

I was captivated by Hawai’i—its science, its legends, its scenery, and its culture . Maybe I see a little of Pele in myself. Or maybe I see her in my daughter, whose fiery spirit is both beautiful and unpredictable. More likely, we all carry a bit of that fire inside us.

Whatever the case, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park – a place where destruction and creation coexist and where myths take form in the steam – is absolutely worth visiting.