The Volcano Forest Escape is for people who want more out of life than the busy side of the island. It's within a 5 minute drive to the Volcanoes National Park, and 40 minutes to the famous black sand beach. House is full of beds, upgrades & charm.<br /><br /><b>The space</b><br />Just a mile to Volcanoes National Park, this home is an awesome home-away-from-home with comfortable beds, and three extra futon sofas providing extra sleeping for a maximum of up to 11 guests – bring the kids!<br /><br />Sleep in the cool comfort of the high-elevation of the Volcano rain forest, at 3700 feet. There’s no need for AC here! We have high quality sheets, warm blankets and comforters and a wood burning stove that can warm the whole house on chilly nights. The area is quiet and relaxing; you'll enjoy the native Hawaiian birdsong. Our double lot is nearly an acre and has many native Ohia trees with beautiful red blossoms and giant Hapu’u fern trees that can grow to 30 feet tall. The adventurous visitors can hike all the way through the back yard till you hit the street behind us. It’s a jungle, but it’s part of the property. Next door are friendly sheep that will eat grass or weeds right out of your hands.<br /><br />The entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is about a mile away, but if that makes you nervous, bear in mind the town of Volcano is upslope of the crater and safer from lava flows than many other parts of the island. The volcano has been erupting in the Halemaumau Crater off and on, if you’re lucky and it’s active, it can be viewed from different angles around the crater rim. At the Visitor Center, there's an informative film and rangers can update you on the latest volcanic activity. Exploring the park further you'll find sulfur banks, steam vents and a lava tube, which you can walk through. There are also many hiking trails.<br /><br />There's a lot to do nearby, the quaint town of Volcano has a few markets, a gas station, a hardware/grocery store and a post office. There’s a Thai restaurant, the Lava Rock Cafe and the Kilauea Lodge Restaurant to name a few. A farmer's market with fresh produce, hot coffee, pastries and breakfast sandwiches is open every Sunday morning, from 6:30-9 a.m.<br /><br />The Mauna Loa Scenic Road is close by, where you can see tree molds, created when a lava flow encountered a damp tree truck hardening the lava around it. More tree molds are seen at the beginning of the Napau Crater Trail. There's also Kipuka Puaulu (Bird Park), a 30-minute hike through an old growth of forest spared when lava flowed through the area a long time ago.<br /><br />Volcano Golf & Country Club is just a few minutes away. This is the Big Island's oldest golf course, dating back to the 1920s. The layout has stunning mountain views. You may see wild turkeys, Nene geese and Hawaiian hawks. Due to the elevation, expect extra distance on well-struck shots. There’s also a restaurant here. Clubs available for rent, as are gas and electric carts.<br /><br />The Volcano Winery is a mile past the golf course, with several unusual wines and wine tasting. We like the Volcano Red.<br /><br />There are many exotic treasures to see in every direction by driving 30-45 minutes. Punalu’u Black Sand Beach is popular with sea turtles that can be seen swimming nearby and resting onshore. Going another direction you'll find volcanically heated tide pools and a new black sand beach created by the 2018 Kilauea eruption, which blocked the Pohoiki boat ramp. You might want to visit the Lava Tree State Park, full of lava tree molds also kind of in this same area. There’s also great swimming and snorkeling along the Hilo coastline at Richardson’s Beach or Carl Smith beach park.<br /><br />Hilo is just a half-hour away and is home to Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens with petting zoo hours from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Rainbow Falls is beautiful and there’s also the World Botanical Gardens & Umauma Falls, a triple-tiered waterfall. The Lyman Museum has an incredible display of Hawaiian geology, plant, animal and fish life and there’s also the Pacific Tsunami Museum, along with many restaurants and shopping opportunities.<br /><br />There are exterior-only surveillance security cameras on this home. A $50 reservation change fee will apply to any changes to an existing reservation initiated by guests.<br /><br />Keywords: house, home, retreat, Volcano, vacation rental, Hawaii, Big Island, Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Kona, Halemaumau Crater, Volcano Winery, Golf Course, Hwy 11, Hilo, UH Hilo, Hawaiian Air, hotel, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Thurston Lava Tube, black sand beach<br /><br /><b>Guest access</b><br />Guests have access to the Entire House... with free WiFi, Covered Parking, Laundry, plus the Front and Back Yard<br /><br /><b>Other things to note</b><br />This house is thermally insulated unlike some of the other homes in the area.<br /><br /><b>Registration Details</b><br />GE-048-719-5648-01, TA-048-719-5648-01