Hawaii Volcanoes National Park growing by 2,000 acres with $1.95M purchase
HILO >> The National Park Service has acquired a nearly 2,000-acre Hawaii island property containing a chasm known as “The Great Crack.”
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports that the oceanfront property adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was purchased for $1.95 million in a recent foreclosure sale.
Ben Hayes, the park’s director of interpretation, said the park has been interested in the property northeast of Pahala for more than five decades. He said environmental assessments will be conducted to determine how the park will manage the site and if it will be publicly accessible.
The site contains a 6-mile ravine in a lava field that is 60-feet wide and 60-feet deep in places. The site has become a popular hiking spot despite that it was on private property.