Читать книгу Hawaii Trails. Walks Strolls and Treks on the Big Island онлайн

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The shape of things

The Big Island of Hawaii is shaped almost like a square, tipped onto one corner—except that the thumb-shaped Kohala Peninsula juts northwest out of the square. The Big Island is made up of five or six volcanoes (more on this in the section on Geology and History). The island’s center is dominated by the two largest volcanoes: 13,796-foot Mauna Kea, which hasn’t erupted for at least 4,500 years, and 13,679-foot Mauna Loa, which last erupted in 1984, menacing the Big Island’s main city, Hilo. Kilauea volcano on the east is the world’s most active volcano. Its most recent eruption began in 1983 and continues as I write this. Kilauea is the centerpiece of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which also includes the summit of Mauna Loa. Hawaii grows each time fresh lava from Kilauea reaches the sea, cools to become new land, and extends the state just a little farther eastward.

Take time for the island of Hawaii

It really is the Big Island! If you have only a day or two on the island of Hawaii, stay put and enjoy what’s nearby. There’s probably a short hike or two in this book that will be very near you. The idea that you can drive around the Big Island and see it all in one day is laughable. Come back for a longer visit when you can.