Kilauea Volcano's Puu Oo vent

At the time I visited, Kilauea's Puu Oo vent was the most active part of the volcano.   It's fairly impressive to fly towards it, poised on top of a barren wasteland, the lava field created by countless previous lava flows.

the smoking Puu Oo vent from outside

There was no lava erupting over the sides of the volcano, however there were two or three lava pools inside, which you can see as orange points of light in this photograph.   Lava was reaching the ocean through several active tubes running under the surface of the lava field.   At the bottom of the crater is the hardened crust of a lava lake.   All of the volcanic terrain in Hawaii is fragile, and this vent is no exception; on the left and right hand sides of the cone you can see where landslides have happened.

crater floor and outside of the Puu Oo vent

It's hit-or-miss whether you'll see much when you visit the volcano.

There's often a lot of cloud around, and the smoke from the vent can block the view, too.

bottom of the Puu Oo vent through smoke
lava pond through the smoke