(BIVN) – Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park has some advice: hit the park website before you hit Kīlauea this holiday season, and avoid the crowded summit area between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The National Park Service is reminding visitors to click on nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes before exploring in person. Recent online updates includes the Plan Your Adventure landing page that features tips to avoid crowds, off-the-beaten-path destinations, what not to do, and how to stay safe, officials say. In a recent media release, HVNP stated:

Most visitors stop at Kīlauea Visitor Center for information, to watch the park movie, or to join a ranger-guided hike, but changes are coming to serve visitors during the holiday surge. The visitor center and the park store, run by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association, will open an hour earlier, at 8 a.m., and close at 5 p.m., starting December 20, 2019 through January 6, 2020. Some ranger programs will relocate to the coast and Chain of Craters Road destinations, like Mauna Ulu. The 20-minute park movie, Born of Fire, Born of the Sea, will only be shown before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m., with six shows a day from November 23 through January 18. A shorter orientation film will replace it.

“We plan for and experience robust visitation every winter season, but the closure of Jaggar Museum and Kīlauea Overlook due to the destructive 2018 eruption has dramatically reduced the number of parking stalls,” said Acting Superintendent Rhonda Loh. “We don’t want to turn anyone away from visiting the park, so we’re relying on visitors to take our advice, arrive earlier, explore less-visited areas, and drive safely,” she said.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is also offering these “Top Ranger Tips”: