KALAPANA, Hawaii – Thursday was opening night for the public lava viewing area in Kalapana. Many decided to take the three mile journey by foot out to the border of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in order to get as close as possible to the active channels burning down the slope of the Pulama pali.

One family visiting from Brisbane, Australia made the trip into a picnic. They agreed that the view of the lava was worth the hike.

The 61g lava flow reached the base of the pali on Wednesday, and is traveling along the western boundary of the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision. The flow is nearly 5 miles long, and is 2.2 miles from the ocean.

Lava viewing along the three mile stretch of the County’s portion of the emergency road is permitted daily between the hours of 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., officials say. Vehicular traffic on the emergency road is being limited to local residents and emergency vehicles.