Thurston Lava Tube is a great place to visit to see how lava travels under ground. There is no active lava here, of course, but you get to see what the volcano's "plumbing" is like knowing similar tubes are carrying the lava towards the ocean today. It is one of the most popular attractions in the park, so if you visit during the day (or on a bus) be prepared for crowds.

Considering we have a crowd allergy, we looked for an opportunity to visit without others... and found one! The National Park never closes, so we simply went at night after supper and waited about 10 minutes for the few people that were there to leave. We never saw another soul in the whole tube and it was awesome! I can only imagine what this tube is like when it's wall to wall people... I expect the experience is almost totally different.

The first section of the lava tube is lit, so you can do this whether or not you brought your own lights. You can see the walls, the size, and even an area or two where parts collapsed (from lava cooling or later rainwater). However, the neatest section is beyond the lit area. This is open to the public, but you absolutely must bring your own light - one per person, don't share - it's much easier. There you get a feel for what the tube is REALLY like (without human "sprucing"), and it's fun to ponder what life would be like if there WERE a collapse. (At least, we have fun doing that - if you truly get scared from such thoughts, DON'T do that. It could really get scary I imagine.)

There are areas where you need to scramble down/up over rocks that have fallen, and one shelf in this back section. It's a lot of fun to explore - very similar to a cave. There are places where water can drip on you, but you don't really get "wet," they are just drips. Shine your light on the wall and see some of the weird colors in places—probably from minerals.

When you leave, if you go at night, the rain forest part of the trail isn't worth it as you can't see much, but you can return to do that during the day, or do it while hiking Kilauea Iki. It IS good for everyone to hike a section of rain forest whether here or elsewhere. The greenery there is amazing.

There are flush toilets here—outside the tube—if anyone needs to use the facilities. They are also open at night and were quite clean then when we used them.