Ken Burns shares secrets of Hawaii's national parks
There may be nothing more breathtaking than the sunrise at Haleakala National Park in Hawaii. But in order to see it, you have to "get up at this ungodly hour" to enjoy it, says Ken Burns.
"Halaekala is worth it, particularly at dawn, but the sunset is almost equally as spectacular as the light strikes these multi-hued minerals of this ancient crater that had once been a very active volcano," Burns says.
Hawaii is the home of two national parks, Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, like its name implies, is the home to two volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Kilauea has been erupting since 1983 and is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Kilauea currently spews enough lava to resurface a 20-mile-long, two-lane road daily. The current eruption may last another 100 years or stop tomorrow. The other volcano in the park, Mauna Loa, last erupted in 1984.
"You can watch this ribbon of light sort of go down and cascade off a cliff into the Pacific and actually be cooled and great steam is given off by the molten rock hitting the cold Pacific, and essentially forming land there," says Burns.
Along with a varied landscape of rain forests, deserts, rift zones, and craters, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park also features cultural sites highlighting the culture of the Polynesian settlers who first arrived on these islands around 1,500 years ago.
Not only does Hawaii Volcanoes National Park offer amazing views, but also a smell. Never smelled lava? Watch the video above to find out how Burns describes the smell of actively pouring lava.
As co-creator of the PBS series The National Parks: America's Best Idea, Ken Burns and his team spent months filming in national parks across the United States.
Burns sat down with Paste BN and shared the secrets of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and nine other national parks for a special 10-part series, "Secrets of the National Parks."
Check back with Paste BN Travel weekly for new installments of "Secrets of the National Parks," featuring Ken Burns' insights into nine other parks including Yosemite, Yellowstone and more.