Original subtitles

(relaxing music)

(upbeat tribal music)

- [David] Secrets of Hawaii's national parks

takes you one-on-one with the primal forces of nature.

Here we'll follow the red hot glow of lava

as it strikes the sea,

bundle up for a spectacular sunrise above the clouds,

saddle up for a ride into a volcanic valley

and stargaze from the top of the world.

We'll not only cruise down 10,000 feet to the coast,

we'll hit the road for a romantic ride.

We'll take a dip into pools of paradise

and marvel at the beauty of a black sand beach.

In this lush land of astounding contrasts,

ancient culture and ongoing creation,

we've got all the secrets.

(relaxing adventurous music)

The Hawaiian Islands are home to many

of the world's best beaches,

most scenic coastal drives,

coffee plantations and quaint towns.

But if you want to delve deeper into paradise,

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Island of Hawaii

and Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui

offer an experience of a lifetime.

In the next hour we'll discover

what makes these national parks two

of the most extraordinary places on the planet.

We'll begin at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,

where each day you'll find the Earth's greatest light show.

At dusk, spectators armed with flashlights, water,

and a good pair of shoes drive to the point

where a lava flow put an end to the Chain of Craters Road.

They traverse a rugged terrain of newly formed rock

to get a front row center seat

to one of the world's most incredible sights.

Earth in the making,

a force so primal,

you simply stare in awe.

It's here steam jets blow sky high

as liquid lava hits the ocean and cools,

and the Big Island gets even bigger.

An estimated 35 acres of new land are added each year.

Around any flow at any hour day or night you may meet up

with a group of fearless photographers who are so hot

on the trail of lava they call themselves lava junkies,

and they're truly obsessed with the sight of it.

- I think of it as like a living art museum.

I mean, if you see something that's really,

you think is really great,

take a picture of it right away 'cause it'll be gone

in an instant and you may never see it again.

To get the best shot these guys travel

at their own risk across a desolate,

and at times, dangerous land.

(photographers chatting)

This is the last little remnant

of the Chain of Craters Road.

There used to be a scenic viewing area below us

where a lot of people came to watch the lava

during the '90s.

So this was the high castle overlook

and this is the last little touch

of humanity that's left here.

- [David] The lava junkies say there's a secret

to finding the best lava flow.

- Either after sunset or before dawn is

when it's most spectacular, and generally,

if something's happening you won't be disappointed.

- [David] All this thanks to two giants,

Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes.

To protect them,

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was founded in 1916.

Mauna Loa, with its gentle slope looks deceptively

like a humongous hill.

This world's most massive volcano last erupted in 1984.

Measured from the ocean floor up to its summit,

Mauna Loa is 56,000 feet tall.

Standing 20,000 feet high from its base on the ocean floor,

the neighboring Kilauea is considered small

by Hawaii standards,

small but mighty.

Kilauea has been spewing between 300

and 350,000 cubic meters of lava a day, since 1983.

- So the way to really grasp it is to imagine

between 400 and 475,000 dump Trucks,

each one 10 cubic yards of capacity,

carrying the lava away each day.

I'd love to have that, I'll say.

- [David] Upon seeing the rolling summit of Kilauea,

people want to know where's the volcano?

There is no dominant peak.

This volcano has a hidden system of plumbing.

Magma from hot zones deep within the Earth rises

beneath the summit of Kilauea.

It then moves underground to a spot called Pu'u 'O'o.

From there, lava travels upon surface flows

and through tubes a distance of eight miles

to empty out into the Pacific Ocean.

Kilauea is both an active and accessible volcano,

two characteristics that attract tons of tourists.

Throughout the course of a day,

National Park Service Rangers team up with scientists

from the US Geological Survey

to take the pulse of the volcano.

- Here in Hawaii we have a unique situation

where we're able to go towards the volcano

and see the activity up close.

Ready, lights on for safety, footwear.

- [David] So, how close can you get?

To determine that you first have to get

over a few misconceptions about lava.

One misconception is that lava is a river

or a fountain of fire.

Lava is liquid rock

with origins far more mysterious than fire.

Another misconception is

that lava flows are a cause for panic.

While they can be dangerous near the point of eruption,

when you get onto flatland lava can move slowly,

so you can get as close

as the tremendous temperature will permit.

- Lava flows are kind of self-limiting in the fact

that you have a natural instinct in you

that will prevent you from getting yourself burned.

But most of the times you get close enough,

you will feel the heat.

- [David] This side of red hot molten lava can stop you

in your tracks

but it isn't the only dangerous substance associated

with volcanic eruptions.

Where there's volcanic activity,

there's an emission of gases.

Sulfur dioxide and other gases called vog rise

from vents in the Earth.

At the point where the lava hits the ocean,

clouds of steam and hot hydrochloric acid gas are formed,

breathing in these gases can be hazardous to your health.

The National Park Service monitors emissions

and warns visitors not to enter restricted areas,

and not to venture out to the benches.

These giant sections of hardened lava for quickly,

extending 100 feet within one to two days.

They may look safe but they're formed over rubble

that's constantly undercut by waves,

and without warning benches can tumble right into the sea.

(dramatic music)

The Island of Hawaii was formed by lava

more than 750,000 years ago,

making it the youngest

of the State of Hawaii's eight major islands.

The continuous volcanic activity

also makes Hawaii Volcanoes National Park a magnet

for scientists from around the world.

The US Geological Survey operates

the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory located

within the park's boundaries.

The observatory was founded in 1912 by Thomas Jaggar,

an MIT professor who was one of the original proponents

of making this volcanic zone a National Park.

The Jaggar Museum pays tribute to Professor Jaggar,

who was a pioneer in the science

of studying volcanoes known as volcanology.

In the early days,

Jaggar conducted his studies

with basic scientific instruments

that included a seismometer

to measure the Earth's movements.

Today, the critical area of seismic monitoring

has gone high-tech.

- There have been vast improvements.

The sensors have changed from purely mechanical

to electronic sensor.

Then also, the recording medium has changed

from a smoke drum to a computer.

- [David] The Hawaiian Islands,

one of the world's most seismically active spots

are now monitored by a network of 65 seismic stations.

The majority of them are concentrated

within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Each week on Mauna Loa and Kilauea,

hundreds of small Earthquakes occur.

Monitoring them is one way to determine

when the next eruption will take place?

- The way that this lava flow looked...

- [David] According to Don Swanson of the USGS,

a range of other techniques are used to track volcanoes.

- We have a world class GPS network that allows us

to locate ourselves very precisely.

That helps us also to monitor the swelling of the volcano.

By measuring the amount of gas

that is given off in the volcano

and then figuring out how much lava there must have been

to have supplied that much gas we can estimate

how much lava is erupting.

And then also using a very low frequency radio signal,

we can measure the cross sectional area

of lava flowing through a lava tube.

And then with a radar gun you can measure the velocity

of the lava and so you can calculate

how much lava is flowing through the tube.

- [David] To gather even more data scientists

will take to the skies.

(lava rock crunching under shoes)

Each week, a helicopter carries a field crew

to the vent at Pu'u 'O'o to retrieve lava samples.

This is no job for a novice.

Molten lava can reach temperatures

of 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit.

- [Crew Member] Okay.

- [David] A three-pound weight tethered

to a stainless steel cable is sunk into an opening

in the roof of a lava tube called a skylight.

After a few seconds the weight is pulled out,

magma sticks to it,

it's then dipped in water to quickly cool into glass.

This process preserves the chemical composition

and texture of the rock that can offer clues

of changes in the source deep within the Earth.

While great advances have been made over the years,

no one can predict the exact date and time

of the next volcanic eruption.

(helicopter humming)

Every day and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

on the Island of Hawaii,

the pyrotechnics of Kilauea Volcano

lure thousands of visitors.

(conch shells humming)

For the Native Hawaiians the volcano has special meaning.

(Singing tribal music in foreign language)

- [David] Pele is the goddess of the volcano,

the source of great power and she is honored

with sacred chants and dances.

(singing in foreign language)

- [David] According to native beliefs,

Pele arrived from the Polynesian islands with her followers.

She spent a long time wandering throughout the islands,

looking for a new home for her family and her fires,

until she found an ideal spot on the Island of Hawaii

and settled at a place called Halemaumau

at the summit of Kilauea.

- When the first Pele followers came here,

which was around the 11th to the 14th Century,

you had these volcanoes going off,

it was like it was major, this island.

So this was a perfect home for Pele,

for the Pele followers.

- [David] In the Native Hawaiian language,

the word Pele means to meander,

as both Pele and the lava flows do.

But there's more to Pele than major forces of nature.

- When you speak of Pele,

you're actually speaking of thousands of beings

who have been dedicated to her spiritually,

and that is where her power emanates from.

This is why the Hawaiians are so very close to her,

is because she embodies all of their ancestors.

- [David] Pele's power has been felt throughout the park.

Her home in Halemaumau Crater is the site

of numerous violent eruptions of Kilauea.

One of the last ones in 1967 filled it with a lake

of molten lava that eventually drained away.

Today, cracks in the Earth continue

to release sulfuric gas from that eruption.

It's here, at Pele's home,

that Native Hawaiians pay homage to their goddess

through prayers and offerings.

- This is a very fragile place and it is the respect

that the Native Hawaiians give to these entities,

they respect the source,

and the offerings made by them is actually for themselves

to be constantly aware of where they live.

(upbeat tribal music)

- [David] Hawaii's first settlers arrived

by dugout canoes.

Why they traveled over 2,000 miles

across the ocean isn't known.

Perhaps it was a war or famine,

or simply to explore their world.

Evidence of their early culture is found

along Hawaii Volcano's Petroglyph Trail.

Puuloa has the largest concentration of petroglyphs

in the State of Hawaii.

It's said to be a site of great mana or spiritual power.

Anthropologists believe these 23,000 figures,

shapes and symbols depict cycles of birth and life.

- Well, here we have an anthropomorphic image

of a stick figure, in fact,

with two legs,

short arms and a fairly well developed head.

Cupules are in the same area,

whether these were done simultaneously with the stick figure

or before or after we don't know.

- [David] Each cupule or indentation is thought

to represent a child.

- Well, here we have one such image with a cupule

as well as the ring around it,

depicting a firstborn child.

The umbilical cord will be placed in the center

of that cupule,

of a rock will be placed over it

and that will ensure the the child's longevity and health,

again, taking mana from the area.

- [David] Descendens of the ancient Hawaiians settled

outside the park in the seaside town of Kalapana

on the south flank of Kilauea.

But living in the shadow

of a volcano eventually took its toll.

In 1983, Kilauea began erupting.

Lava poured out of several vents near the eastern border

of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,

and for years afterward the lava just kept coming.

By 1990, a slow but steady flow inched outside the park

toward the town of Kalapana.

Harry Kim, mayor of Hawaii County,

was the director of civil defense in 1990.

- And it was just a matter of time when this was going

to break a flow towards where people were.

And on April Fool's Day, 1990,

I knew it was within that time,

we called meetings and got all of the agencies together

to say what our tasks would be.

- [David] Maluhia Kuahiwinui was 11 years old

at the time.

- And all the kids were riding bikes and skateboards

and we were just cruising,

going right next to the lava and going around

because they are barricades

and the lava just kept on moving.

- [David] Finally, the people of Kalapana were told

to evacuate the area.

- Their museum all inflamed.

People they are crying that all these home

(fire crackling)

and was sad, sad.

- [David] The house of Robert Keliihoomalu

was in the direct line of the lava,

but Robert and his family refused to leave.

- The lava came and stopped at my driveway,

it reversed out to the road and went to the ocean

and all the way down and took one,

two, three homes down the road.

So I said it was a miracle.

- [David] Roberts house was miraculously spared,

but the flow kept coming.

This time it threatened to strike at the heart of Kalpana,

the Star of the Sea Painted Church,

a wood framed Catholic church the community built by hand.

The people just couldn't stand by and watch,

they had to do something.

With the lava heading straight toward it,

the church was hoisted onto a truck

and transported to safer ground just in the nick of time.

- Less than 45 minutes after they move out

of there the lava closed the road behind them.

And that's how stressful it was and you saw an energy

to say the church and that church was moved

and where you see it today.

- [David] The church was saved

but the idyllic town of Kalpana

and a way of life was gone forever.

- I think Kalapana literally as a gift

from the highest power on Earth.

There was a warmth there that I cannot express.

If you meet any of the old town Hawaiians you will know

what I'm trying to say here.

It was just a beautiful place.

- [David] The eruption of Kilauea that began

in 1983 was the Big Island's most devastating volcanic event

of the past century.

It's continuous spew into the 21st Century is all a part

of life on an island ruled by a goddess

with a volcano at her command.

Yet, in this seismically active place,

the volcano isn't the only destructive force.

(helicopter rumbling)

- We have volcanic eruptions,

we have Earthquakes and we have tsunamis.

Tsunamis are by far the most deadly

of all those natural disasters,

'cause they've killed

more people than all of the others combined.

- [David] A killer wave,

known as a tsunami is not a tidal wave.

In fact, it has nothing to do with the tides.

Enormous underwater disturbances caused by Earthquakes

and volcanoes can push water out

in a powerful ripple effect,

more like a giant flood of destructive waves.

Located 30 miles from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,

the town of Hilo sat in the devastating path

of three major tsunamis.

(waves splashing and crashing)

And as a result,

this one's populated port is now a series

of oceanfront parks with a memorial to the lives lost.

The mission of the local Tsunami Museum is

to preserve the past and educate the public

in hopes of avoiding another tragedy.

The Hawaiian Islands are now linked

to a Pacific Tsunami Warning System.

Although nothing can warn the Big Island

against locally generated tsunamis,

like the one in 1975,

this tsunami was generated by an Earthquake

in Volcanoes National Park.

- Right over the epicenter of this quake

was a beautiful camping site called Halape,

and there were 30-some campers who were there that weekend.

And so you have to just imagine at five o'clock

in the morning they're in their tents

and a 7.2 Earthquake occurs and in five minutes they

had a 25 foot wave come in and wash over them.

- [David] The early morning tsunami claimed the lives

of two people.

Yet, a tsunami has another frightening characteristic.

Even in broad daylight it's difficult to see it coming.

- It could be a perfect,

calm day the beach and the only indication you have is

that all of a sudden the water may start to withdraw

or it may just start to come in.

And that's your very first sign

that a tsunami is actually underway.

- [David] The Tsunami Museum advises

that if you're ever near a beach

when you feel the shake of an Earthquake,

head for high ground.

(dramatic music)

(helicopter humming)

At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

on the Island of Hawaii the only constant is change.

Lava flows obliterate everything in their path.

Out of the devastation comes new life

and you never know when things will erupt again.

- In most places you don't see geologic change

in your lifetime.

This is one of the few places on Earth

where you can actually watch the landscape change

before your very eyes.

- [David] This cauldron of creation

has enticed visitors for centuries.

But if you wanna spend the night on the rim of a crater,

the only place to stay

in the park is aptly named The Volcano House.

Volcano House first opened as a grass shack

on the rim of an active lava flow in 1846.

As more and more travelers ventured out

to see the volcano a more upscale building was built

and the hotel continued to evolve.

Complete with rooms with a view of the crater,

and a former owner named Uncle George,

who is rumored to haunt Volcano House.

If that sends chills up your spine,

maybe you'd be more comfortable near the fire.

But this is no ordinary fire.

It's been burning nonstop since 1877,

earning Volcano House a reference

in Ripley's Believe it or Not.

Watching over the whole scene is none other than Pele,

the goddess of volcanoes herself.

Along the two main roads in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,

the Crater Rim Drive and the Chain of Craters Road,

evidence of an explosive past makes

for some unusual sightseeing.

Visitors can walk through fields of steam shooting up

from cracks within the Earth called steam vents.

The steam is created when rain seeps below ground

and hits the hot volcanic rock.

(people chatting)

Kilauea is called a drive-in volcano,

but bike trips offer visitors a perfect way

to move about the park and really see it.

There are also plenty of interesting day hikes.

On the Kilauea Iki Trail,

you can actually cut across the floor of a crater.

- You may not realize it,

but in 1959 this was a molten lake of lava,

so molten that waves were rolling in the lava

just like water crashing up against the crater walls.

One episode the lava reached a height

of almost 2,000 feet,

that's the highest ever recorded in Hawaii.

That cinder and spatter then fell down from the fountain

and piled up around the vent to create that hill

that we call Pu'u Pua'i.

- [David] This same eruption of Kilauea Iki carved

a path appropriately named Devastation Trail.

Here you can see the forces of nature at work.

This particular eruption took out the edge of a forest,

so one side still thrives

and whether there was once total devastation

there are now small signs of rebirth.

(relaxing upbeat music)

Around the park and intricate network

of lava tubes are mostly undiscovered,

but there's one you can explore.

The Thurston Lava Tube was created by an eruption

of Kilauea some 550 years ago.

- So much of our lava flow travels invisibly,

unseen through these underground tunnels.

And when the eruptions are over the lava drains out,

the caves empty,

they cool off.

- [David] This tube has been a major attraction

since it was first explored in 1913 by Lorrin Thurston.

Lava tubes hold some of the park's best kept secrets.

The Ancient Hawaiians once use them for their burials,

shelter and storage.

They were thought to be totally void of life,

but in the 1970s scientists made an amazing discovery.

- They came into a lava tube like this one.

They looked around,

they looked in all the little cracks.

They found colorless insects, little spiders,

even micro organisms,

stuff that's so small you need a microscope to see it.

And these things were special to Hawaii,

they don't exist anyplace else.

- [David] There are actually two parts

to the Thurston Lava Tube,

a 400 foot lighted section and the darker side,

where you'll need a flashlight to move

through the pitch black 300 yard part of the tube.

And once you emerge from the darkness,

just above the spot where a river

of molten lava once forged and underground tunnel,

you'll find an incredible sight,

a tropical forest were oversized Hapuu ferns flourish

alongside tropical plants and Ohi'a trees.

All this makes Hawaii volcanoes a study in contrasts.

One of the few places on the planet where within an hour

or less, you can experience both a dense rain forest

and a barren desert.

Yet, the desert here isn't your typical desert.

The Kaʻu desert gets a remarkable 50 inches

of rainfall each year.

That's enough to sustain an entire forest.

This desert is created by the volcano.

Acid raid from the sulfur gases released

from vents near Halemaumau Crater prevents all

but a few rugged plants from springing up.

This tropical desert is host to another

of the park's secrets,

layers of footprints preserved in the rock prove

that people have been walking along the volcano

for hundreds of years.

- Here's the footprint right here.

You can see the big toe right there.

- [David] It's thought the Hawaiians once traveled here

in search of lava rock for tools.

But these tracks in the hardened ash remain something

of a mystery.

- So it's very unique to see these kind of tracks.

I think these are probably one

of the few places you can see tracks all the United States.

Yeah, so that's why we protect these.

- [David] In spite of the protection,

they're slowly being eroded by the wind,

one of many forces of nature that shaped this land.

(cicadas screaming)

Other evidence of nature's handiwork can be found

in two types of lava rock,

the smooth mounds called Pahoehoe and a loose,

chunky rock difficult to walk on called aa.

Both kinds of lava flows came from the same vent

and both were erupted looking the same way.

Their distinctively different surfaces come

from the way lava travels,

on flat ground versus downhill,

and from the way lava cools as it moves.

Here's something you might not know,

this volcanic turf has a space connection.

In the 1990s,

NASA scientists used Kilauea as the testing ground

for a new space vehicle called the Marsokhod Rover.

The test simulated how the remotely controlled Marsokhod

might traverse lunar or Martian terrain.

Back in the 1960s and '70s,

the park first caught the eye of NASA

who sent astronauts here to train

because it resembled the surface of the moon.

But the dress code for this rehearsal was casual.

No spacesuits were required.

And once in orbit,

the space crew could look out and say aloha

to their Big Island training ground.

The Big Islands biggest challenge comes

from forces beneath the Earth.

Just keeping up with the pace of change

in the park is a full time job.

The constant flow of the lava causes maps

to get outdated and roads to close permanently.

And where there's red hot moving lava,

there's the threat of fire.

It's such a volatile environment,

rangers are always on the lookout.

Helicopters often take to the skies

to prevent even the smallest burns

from getting out of control.

Fires here are mostly fueled

by extremely flammable non-native plants.

The park has a policy of zero tolerance when it comes

to fire to protect its Native Hawaiian species.

(birds chirping)

(helicopter humming)

Just as volcanoes have the power to destroy,

they also have the ability to create a place of beauty.

A short distance from Hawaii Volcanoes the beach,

called Punaluʻu, is one of the island's most exotic secrets.

If you're lucky,

on this stretch of an all-black sand beach you might come

across a special site resting along the shore.

The green sea turtle feeds on algae and seaweed

that grows on the lava rocks.

Here, the black sand is created by the violent interaction

of molten lava and the tides.

Punaluʻu is one of a few black sand beaches

on the Island of Hawaii and it's protected by law.

In the State of Hawaii it's a crime

to take black sand home with you.

Other rules protect Punaluʻu's primary attraction.

These amazing creatures of the sea are all a part

of another day in paradise.

(waves splashing gently)

Secrets of Hawaii's national parks travels

from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Island of Hawaii

to Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui.

Like the Island of Hawaii,

Maui owes its existence to volcanic eruptions

on the ocean floor.

The Haleakala Volcano makes up more than half

of the island of Maui and is home

to Haleakala National Park.

The park's borders extend from its highest peak

all the way down to the sea.

In the Hawaiian language,

Haleakala means the House of the Sun.

And at the summit,

Haleakala National Park lives up to its name.

So set your alarm clock for the wee hours of the morning,

dress for the cold and scale the volcano by car

to catch the sunrise at Haleakala.

(crickets chirping)

Visitors make the 10,000 foot ascent above the clouds

to an overlook where they'll do almost anything

to stay warm,

they'll even wear their beds.

No matter what time of year,

before the sun comes out temperatures dip an average

of 30 degrees from the ocean to the summit.

It's a bit chilly for the tropics,

but then, Hawaii is a land of extremes.

Here, you have to wait for the magic moment.

As the sun makes its way above the horizon,

the meaning of Haleakala,

the House of the Sun, becomes clear.

(singing tribal music in foreign language)

- [David] For Native Hawaiians the arrival

of the sun is especially meaningful.

Hawaiians believe that

when the gods created the environment they gave each part

of it spiritual power.

(singing tribal music in foreign language)

- The sun has its spiritual power.

There is something special that pulls us

and gives us strength.

By calling out the sun this is what you were doing,

you are asking this power to help you through this day.

- [David] In spite of the cold and hour of the day,

visitors say it's something they'll never forget.

- It's a magical moment and it's the chance

in the lifetime to get up and experience something

that few people in the world ever do see.

It's absolutely gorgeous up here.

- It's beautiful.

- It's beautiful. - I mean, it's paradise.

- It's romantic, it's amazing.

- It's beautiful being above the clouds.

Yeah, it was stunning.

- No sunrise is exactly the same,

so you're just seeing a piece of artwork

developed in front of you. - Right before your eyes.

- [David] From the summit one turn off takes you

to another awesome site.

Few places on Earth have this combination of rarefied air

and rich scenery.

And you have a choice of two modes

of transportation, on foot,

or saddle up.

One thing you might not expect to find is a cowboy.

These cowboys from the Pony Express are your ticket

into the heart of Haleakala Crater.

(relaxing music)

The narrow Sliding Sands Trail along the southern edge

of Haleakala traverses volcanic cinders and ash

that were part of a series of eruptions some 800

to 4,000 years ago.

Once you reach the floor there's time to rest the horses

and break for lunch before you giddy-up and go again.

But if you wanna linger for more than a quick bite

you can spend the whole night.

The Kapalaoa Cabin is one of three historic cabins

that offer you a chance to sleep in a volcanic valley.

At an elevation of 7,200 feet along the Sliding Sands Trail,

don't expect any luxury.

(wood chopper rustling)

Meals here are up to you.

There are bunk beds but don't count on dropping in.

Park reservations are made by lottery,

up to two months in advance.

These secret spots to stay are a favorite among hikers

who know that hiking is the best way to get a close-up view

of the wonders of Haleakala.

Along the trail you'll find one

of the more vulnerable residents

of the park, the silversword.

Unique to Haleakala,

these majestic plants can live for as long as 50 years,

blooming only once before they die.

But their biggest threat isn't their lifecycle.

At one time,

feral goats and pigs ate nearly all the silverswords,

bringing them, along with other native plants,

to the brink of extinction.

This forced the National Park Service

to take some drastic steps.

- There's a boundary fence almost all the way

around the summit area of the park and that's in order

to keep out the goats and the pigs

that have been introduced to Hawaii

and that really wreak havoc on the native plants such

as the silversword.

(fence squeaking and clanging shut)

- [David] This fence stretches nearly 50 miles

along the summit where sandalwood,

pilo, and other native species make Haleakala

one truly special place.

- What you're seeing is similar to the first people

who've made this trip,

who climbed all the way up here and saw all

of these native species.

These are all Hawaiian plants around us,

Hawaiian birds around us.

- So you guys,

hand signals for the ride today.

- [David] Unlike the first people

to venture up to the summit,

today's visitors can challenge themselves to new extremes

on the way back down.

Bike companies transport riders up to the summit overlook.

- Okay so everybody feels good on their bike, right?

- [David] Bikes for this ride are designed

with special brakes and you'll need them.

Once you begin it's a two-wheeled wild ride,

a nearly 10,000 foot descent down the side of the volcano.

There are spectacular views but not much time

to take your eye off the road.

Several stops help slow down the incredible momentum

and let you revel in the moment.

- [Guide] You guys, lots of (mumbles).

(upbeat adventurous music)

(people cheering)

- [David] Along the way temperatures rise,

so bikers shed their layers of clothing.

After passing through the town of Paia the bikers head

toward the finale at the beach where the surf's up.

You can catch a few waves or top off your day

with one of Hawaii's most celebrated pastimes.

(waves splashing)

(relaxing upbeat music)

The other side of Haleakala National Park is located

on the east tip of Maui.

The best way to get there is to take the Hana Highway,

one of the most romantic and scenic coastal drives

in the world.

Hairpin curves hug the Maui coast

alongside tropical forests, cascading waterfalls,

the town of Wailua and plenty of picturesque places

where lava meets the sea.

The road eventually winds its way to Kipahulu,

an area added to Haleakala National Park in 1969.

The park boundaries protect this part of the tropics.

In this once isolated land,

storms bring as much as 250 inches of rain each year

to the canyons in the mid elevation of the Kipahulu Valley.

The water then cascades downhill

through at least two dozen freshwater pools.

The most popular pools are the lower ones,

called the pools of Ohe'o,

lush, serene and alluring.

This is paradise and it's about as good as it gets.

(waterfall streaming)

Kipahulu's rich history revolves around the people

who first settled this land,

dividing an idyllic island

into pie-shaped sections called ahupua'a

that stretched to the sea.

The ahupua'a provided each Ohana or extended family

with all the necessities for survival,

from fresh water and soil for farming,

to fish from the ocean.

(birds chirping)

The National Park Service's partnership

with the Kipahulu Ohana brings back the past

at the Kapahu Farm,

a living museum and Taro farm within the park

that looks more like the Garden of Eden.

Taro, a root vegetable is grown and harvested by hand.

- Now, right on the side of this is these Taro patches,

we have a ditch that goes four corners

around the Taro patch

and this ditch must be open at all times.

- [David] Taro, is planted during a full moon.

When mature it's harvested in cleaned,

then cut and prepared for cooking.

Thought to have all the vitamins a body needs,

Taro is the main ingredient

in the traditional Hawaiian dish, poi.

- This is called the ha-ha.

This is what we use to eat,

this is all edible.

And this is the final Taro that's cooked.

We steam it or boil it and when the knife goes through,

like a potato,

then it's fine.

- [David] But the Kapahu Farm

in Haleakala National Park is more than

just a look back in time.

- Kapahu is a very spiritual place.

You can go any place in Kipahulu,

you have different feeling for different places.

And we have people,

elders that live in this Ohana all their life

and recently they be coming up here

and they don't wanna leave 'cause they're very touched.

- [David] Those who come here

to experience native culture come away

with a special feeling for a place

and the people who bring it to life.

(upbeat music)

At Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui

an ancient volcano serves as a high-tech gateway

to the heavens.

Right on the border of the park sits one

of the world's foremost observatories.

13 telescopes are operated by universities,

the US Air Force, and NASA.

Nicknamed Science City,

the Haleakala Observatory's complex is off limits

to the public.

Above the clouds,

an elevation of 10,023 feet makes Haleakala,

the House of the Sun,

the perfect spot for stargazing.

- We seek these high spots on which to place observatories

to try to get above as much

of the Earth's atmosphere as possible.

So, this is the reason that Haleakala was chosen.

It's probably one of the five best sites in the world.

- [David] The modern-day explorers are peering

into every corner of the universe.

It's not only stars they're looking at,

it's planets, the moon

and most anything else floating around the cosmos.

The University of Hawaii,

together with NASA runs the Lure Observatory,

where measuring distances in outer space

with lasers bounced off objects like the moon

enables scientists to calculate distances

from the center of the Earth.

The US Air Force and the Department of Defense

operate the Maui Space Surveillance System

that scans outer space.

The Department of Defense has had an observation post

on Haleakala since the 1960s.

They keep an eye on the orbits of 8,000 satellites

as they circle the globe each day.

And the Air Force has a powerful new tool.

Haleakala is home

to the Defense Department's largest telescope.

(metal doors rumbling open)

(relaxing adventurous music)

With a diameter of 11 feet,

this technical marvel pushes the job

of monitoring space light-years ahead.

It can pinpoint an object the size

of a basketball thousands of miles away.

The Air Force observatory operates 24, seven.

Daylight sensors can follow satellites even

when the sun is shining and they keep a lookout

for more than just orbiting satellites.

- So we actually look for non-manmade objects

that might be in a potential collision course

with the Earth.

So definitely, we're protecting planet Earth.

(relaxing music)

- [David] Outside Science City,

a flight around Haleakala Crater offers

a perspective you can't see on your own.

This bird's-eye view shows off one

of the park's most colorful secrets.

Over time, the exposure of iron,

sulfur and other mineral deposits to the elements

of nature creates these brilliant colors.

Haleakala is called a dormant volcano,

so don't count it out.

Though it's not currently erupting,

geologists consider Haleakala to be an active volcano.

After all, it's been erupting on and off

for thousands of years.

(relaxing adventurous music)

The youngest lava flow on the island of Maui can be found

outside the park at La Perouse Bay.

Recent radiocarbon dating

of the lava rock suggests the last eruption

of Haleakala took place between 1480 and 1600.

USGS field geologist, David Sherrod,

says the date of its next eruption is anyone's guess.

- When, that's kind of the problem of deciding

when your teenager is gonna clean his or her room.

We don't know when this volcano will erupt.

It's in a long period of repose right now.

It's not going to become active in a week or a month,

probably not even a year.

But as sure as the sun gets up each morning,

we're confident that Haleakala will

have an eruption sometime in the next 200 to 500 years.

- [David] As to a connection between the volcanoes

in Hawaii's national parks,

many people think if Haleakala erupts,

the Kilauea and Mauna Loa Volcanoes will follow.

But experts say, no way.

(birds chirping)

- There is no volcanic connection,

no magmatic connection in the underground.

Haleakala is about 160 miles

from the hotspot, 200 kilometers.

It once was the hotspot volcano.

This volcano, however,

is completely disjointed from the hotspot.

It has no way to talk to Kilauea or Mauna Loa.

When they talk it doesn't listen.

- [David] Haleakala will erupt again

because it was once over the hotspot

and so much heat is stored at its base.

As for new hot zones,

back on the Island of Hawaii,

one site within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

is definitely heating up.

First noticed in the 1930s,

an area right along the Chain of Craters Road,

shows the telltale signs of thermal activity,

steam vents, smoldering trees and dying vegetation.

This area has expanded to 37 acres

and it may be moving across the road.

(crickets chirping and upbeat dramatic music)

And even more Earthshaking changes are on the way.

The same undersea hotspot that produced this island chain

is at it once again.

A new island called Loihi may be forming 15 miles

off the coast of Hawaii.

But don't book a hotel room there just yet.

The top of this volcano is still some 3,000 feet

below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

Someday, it could add the ninth island to the Hawaiian chain

and continue the life cycle that gave birth

to this Pacific paradise millions of years ago.

- Just a constant reminder that Earth is a sea of change

that we can't, of course,

stop or even modify.

- [David] Visitors from all over the world

have answered the call to paradise.

But it's not just about beaches and tropical sunsets.

Haleakala National Park on Maui

and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Island of Hawaii

are unlike anything in the world.

In this land where everything is temporary,

you can get a front row seat at the crucible of creation

and witness the power of a goddess named Pele,

along with an astounding diversity.

(cicadas screaming)

You can hike across a lunar-like landscape

and move from an abyss of crimson rock and sky

to the blissful pools of a tropical valley.

Hawaii's national parks chronicle the history

of the Earth itself.

It's here the age old drama of destruction

and creation plays out right before your eyes.

(upbeat adventurous music)

Visitors leave these parts not only

with picture postcard memories,

but with a renewed awe and respect

for the powerful forces shaping our planet.

(relaxing adventurous music)

(relaxing upbeat tribal music)