Riding the Tube - Hawaiian Style

This is the inside of the Thurston Lava Tube in Hilo, Hawaii located in the Volcanoes National Park.

This 400 year old lava tube is 600 feet long with ceilings between 10 and 30 feet. The trail through the tube is lit and a short stair at the end takes you back up to where you started, a sort of Circle Line tube.

This lava tube was discovered in 1913 by Lorrin Thurston, a local newspaper publisher. At that time the roof of the tube was covered with lava stalactites, but those soon disappeared to souvenir collectors. As you walk through the tube you need to consider that several hundred years ago a river of red lava rushed through.