Volunteer ranger with visitors on caldera floor (NPS/J.Wei)

(BIVN) – National Park Week will be celebrated at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park next week, starting with a fee-free Saturday on April 16. Park discovery events for families, Kahuku events, volunteer opportunities, and other programs will run through April 24.

The National Park Service is provides this rundown:

Fee-Free Day. Saturday, April 16 is a fee-free day to kick off National Park Week. Enjoy free entrance to all fee-charging national parks in the U.S. including Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

‘Ohana “sPark Discovery Day.” Your ‘ohana (family) is invited to explore the park and #sParkDiscovery by participating in a fun trading card collection challenge. Start at the welcome tent near the bus parking area at Kīlauea Visitor Center where you will receive a map with directions to six activity stations located within the park. Five stations are located within a half mile of the visitor center, with one station in the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store, and one station in Kahuku. Each station features a fun game, craft, or activity for the ‘ohana to do together. Once an activity is complete, you will receive a trading card to color in. Collect five of the six cards and return to the welcome tent to receive a prize.
When: Saturday, April 16 (a fee-free day), from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Start at the welcome tent near the bus parking by Kīlauea Visitor Center, and Kahuku

A Storybook Trail at Kahuku. Kahuku has a new self-guided storybook trail featuring Caren Lobel-Fried’s book, Legend of the Gourd (Kamahoi Press). This book is a magical re-telling of the story about the “Children of the Gourd” who live on the Kamāʻoa Plain in Kaʻū. Follow the storyboards along the trail to the top of Puʻu o Lokuana and read this beautifully illustrated tale along the way. At the top of the puʻu (hill), the panoramic view invites you to imagine the path of the gourd vine from Kamāʻoa to Kapuʻa. The storyboards are also translated into ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). Free entrance.
When: Storybook Trail at Kahuku debuts during National Park Week, April 16 to 24. Kahuku is open Thursday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Puʻu o Lokuana Trail, Kahuku. The entrance is located near the 70.5 mile marker in Kaʻū, about an hour drive south of the main park entrance.

Stewardship at the Summit. Volunteer to help remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, a World Heritage Site. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, raingear, day pack, snacks and water. Gloves and tools are provided. Under 18? Parental or guardian accompaniment or written consent is required. Visit the park website for additional planning details.
When: Saturday, April 16 and Friday, April 22 at 8:45 a.m.
Where: Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai

Volunteer ranger guided hike (NPS/J.Wei)

Explore the Summit with a Ranger. Discover what makes Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park such special place. Take a short (up to a half-mile) walk with a ranger as you explore the summit. Topics vary from geology, ecology, to Hawaiian culture. Check at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai for more information on topics for the day, and to see additional offerings. Free (park entrance fees apply).
When: Daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Additional programs may be offered, check at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Walk is about an hour.
Where: Meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai

Hike Mau Loa o Maunaulu. Discover Mau Loa o Maunaulu, the “Forever Growing Mountain.” Hike with a ranger to the top of Maunaulu lava shield for panoramic views of the 1969-1974 eruption that crossed Chain of Craters Road multiple times, and dramatically changed the landscape. Learn about volcanology, geology, and their effect on the landscape. Develop an understanding of how Hawaiians observed and understood their relationship with these forces. Expect a moderately difficult four-mile hike over unstable terrain. Participants must be able to complete the hike, bring sun protection, have closed-toed shoes, and are required to bring water. Space is limited, get a free ticket at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai the day of the program. Free (park entrance fees apply).
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m. (April 19 & 21 during NP Week). Tickets are available starting at 9 a.m. the day of the hike. Hike is about 3-4 hours.
Where: Meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai

A Walk into the Past with Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar. Walk back to 1912, and meet the founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar, at the edge of Kīlauea volcano. Dressed in period costume, Ka‘ū actor-director Dick Hershberger brings the renowned geologist to life. Dr. Jaggar will take you on a short walk to the crater rim behind Volcano House, near his former lab. You’ll learn what motivated Dr. Jaggar to dedicate his life to the study of Hawaiian volcanoes, and how his work helps save lives today. Space is limited; pick up your free ticket at the Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai the day of the program. Supported by the Kīlauea Drama Entertainment Network (KDEN). Free (park entrance fees apply).
When: Friday, April 22 at 10 a.m. and noon. Each performance is about an hour.
Where: Meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center

Pu‘u o Lokuana Cinder Cone. Join this one-hour, ranger-guided, 0.4-mile loop and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka‘ū and the wide Pacific Ocean from this scenic peak. Free entrance.
When: Saturday, April 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Where: Meet at Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Entrance is located near the 70.5 mile marker in Kaʻū, about an hour drive south of the main park entrance.

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku. A moderately difficult, ranger-guided half-mile, 90-minute hike on Kamakapaʻa Trail. Free entrance.
When: Sunday, April 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Where: Meet at Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. The entrance is located near the 70.5 mile marker in Kaʻū, about an hour drive south of the main park entrance.

Birth of Kahuku. Explore the rich geologic history of Kahuku on this ranger-guided, two-hour, two-mile hike on Puʻu o Lokuana Trail. Free entrance.
When: Saturday, April 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Where: Meet at Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. The entrance is located near the 70.5 mile marker in Kaʻū, about an hour drive south of the main park entrance.

Merrie Monarch Parade. Hulō! Cheer on park rangers and native plant and animal species as we march in uniform and costume to celebrate the return of the Merrie Monarch Parade in downtown Hilo!
When: Saturday, April 23, 10:30 a.m. until pau
Where: Downtown Hilo, Merrie Monarch Festival parade route

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua. Learn about the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this easy, ranger-guided one-mile, 90-minute walk-and-talk-story program. Free entrance.
When: Sunday, April 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Where: Meet at Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. The entrance is located near the 70.5 mile marker in Kaʻū, about an hour drive south of the main park entrance.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is excited to again offer scheduled and spontaneous park ranger guided programs and hikes, Dr. Jaggar living history, Stewardship at the Summit volunteer opportunities, and Kahuku programs. For events beyond National Park Week, check the park’s online calendar, or stop by Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai or the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station.