Lava erupting from the Kilauea Volcano vent entered the ocean this week for the first time in three years, a spectacle that is drawing thousands of curious onlookers.

“It’s amazing,” said Kris Falgout of Milolii, who joined a group of friends on a hike to the lava flow from Kalapana on Wednesday night.

Falgout, who moved to the Big Island just over a year ago, said getting up close to lava just happened to be on her personal bucket list.

“It was an opportunity I had to take,” she said. “It was well worth the long walk.”

Lots of people, both tourists and residents, are taking the opportunity to view this spectacular meeting of the primal forces of nature to create new terra firma.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park officials said they expect visitors to top 1,000 a day this weekend after hundreds were making the lava flow trek every day this past week.

“It’s an amazing thing to see,” said Jessica Ferracane, public affairs specialist with the national park. “We’re talking about a potent, powerful elemental force.”

The phenomenon has led to the creation of several ocean lava tour companies and is a splashy new star on social media.

Tourism officials said they are excited by the developments of the volcano and expect tourism to get a shot in the arm as more people become aware of the lava flow’s accessibility.

Lava from Puu Oo vent began tumbling down the mountain in May and finally crossed the coastal Kalapana emergency road early Tuesday morning before spilling into the ocean at 1:12 a.m. Wednesday.

Ferracane said the lava flow started attracting attention in early to mid-June. Word started getting out, she said, and people began hiking to the base of the pali for a view.

The Kalapana emergency route was opened by Hawaii County on June 30. Vehicular traffic is limited to local residents and emergency vehicles, and is being monitored by security guards.

If you’re going to see the lava from land, it’s going to take an effort. The trek is more than 4 miles one way, whether you hike in from Kalapana or from the national park side.

“It’s a remote and hard hike,” Ferracane said.

Signs posted at the Kalapana entrance warn visitors to bring lots of water. Sturdy footwear and flashlights at night are essential.

Falgout said it took her party at least a couple of hours each way.

“The last couple of miles on the way back were very hard. Everything hurt,” she said, adding that she didn’t return to her West Hawaii home until 1:30 a.m., this after starting the hike at about 6 p.m.

Keep in mind that physical exertion won’t be your only concern if you’re hiking to the flow.

The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is warning hikers that they face the possibility of several other significant hazards beyond walking on rough and uneven surfaces and around unstable and steep sea cliffs.

Venturing too close to the lava where it meets the ocean, officials said, exposes you to flying debris propelled from the explosive mixture of lava and water.

In addition, the new land created is unstable because it sits on a loose foundation of fragmented lava and sand. These unstable areas are known to be undermined by surf, and large sections have suddenly slid into the sea.

Another hazard is lava haze, or laze, the white plume laden with fine volcanic particles that rises from the ocean when superheated lava causes seawater to boil rapidly. The laze can irritate the skin, eyes and lungs.

Ferracane said the national park has assigned more rangers to the park’s coastal ranger station and to its eruption crew at the viewing area. One of their tasks, she said, is to ensure that people behave properly.

There have been reports of people poking the lava with a stick and throwing plastic bottles into the flows. One person was even seen roasting his food.

“Two Native Hawaiian families walked out of the lava field because they were disgusted by what was going on,” she said.

It’s not only disrespectful to Madame Pele, she said, but it’s against federal law to tamper with the lava.

With more rangers now on the scene, the bad behavior is on the decline, Ferracane said.

While the Kalapana viewing area hours are from 3 to 9 p.m. daily, with the last car allowed to park at 8:30 p.m., the national park side is open 24 hours a day.

Keep in mind, however, that the volcanic haze is more likely to drift to the national park side because in tradewind weather it is downwind of the lava flow.

Despite the hazards, tourists and locals alike are flocking to the area safely and getting a spectacular show, said Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau.

That’s good for business, he said.

Birch said the volcano and its lava can be a double-edged sword. When lava threatened Pahoa a few years ago, there was a lot of fear and negative press.

Now it’s all good. The volcano, he said, is the iconic symbol of the Big Island, appearing in most of the island’s promotions.

Birch said he expects, among other things, that the lava flow will lead to an increase in visitors to the island from Oahu.