Pepeekeo, Hawaii

Running or biking on Old Mamalahoa Hwy is a treasure! The path is marked as a 'Scenic Drive' but you can park your car along the way and run, or bike through. This area is north of Hilo's downtown so you'll follow Mamalahoa Hwy north (the only highway that goes around the north side of the island...

Honoli'i Beach Park is a favorite spot among locals for surfing, especially if you are a good surfer! Park along the street and walk down the stairs to the shower area. To the left leads to the black sand beach where surfers will leave from, but if you are just looking to hangout, you can also go...

Within walking distance of downtown Hilo, jog around Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens for beautiful views of Mauna Kea, the Pacific, and Eastern art! A loop around the park, including Coconut Island, is approximately 1 mile. On your jog, you will see lots of people walking and running in addition t...

Rainbow Falls is a gorgeous and easily accessible pull-off from Highway 11. This is not really a hike - just a short walk from the parking lot to a gorgeous 80 foot waterfall (making this fun for all ages!). Hit up Cafe Pesto in Hilo for a meal after.  If you want to learn about the mythology sur...

A beautiful beach for swimming less than 10 minutes from downtown Hilo! Because Hilo is more rocky and jungly than the western side of the island, this beach is more of a swimming hole than a traditional beach. Carlsmith is also frequented by big turtles (like the ones in Finding Nemo!), but plea...

Mauna Kea is one of the volcanoes that helped form the Big Island of Hawai’i. However, its last eruption was around 2600 BC. Mauna Kea sits at an elevation of 13,796ft above sea level making it the second highest mountain I’ve hiked as I write this post – just shy of Mt Whitney. Interestingly, mo...

While you can drive right to the summit of Mauna Kea on the 14 mile access road, the last 7 miles are on a very bumpy dirt road, so make sure your vehicle has plenty of clearance and good tires. All wheel drive will help a lot.The drive up is amazing itself. Usually there is some fog lingering ar...

Starting at the Kilauea Visitor Center, this 18.8 mile drive begins its 3,700 foot elevation change by meandering through the rainforest. Follow signs from the visitor center (near the entrance of the park) to Crater Rim Drive. Chain of Craters Road begins off of Crater Rim Drive, 3.3 miles south...

Halema'uma'u Steam Bluff and Sulfur Banks Trail is a loop hike that takes you by a hot springs located near Volcano, Hawaii, Hawaii.

The trail begins at the Kīlauea Iki parking lot on Crater Rim Drive. You may go either way from the trailhead. Going left will take you to the Thurston Lava Tube parking lot and then down to the floor of Kīlauea Iki. Going right will take hikers through the rain forest on the crater rim and down ...

Thurston Lava Tube Trail is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Pahala, Hawaii, Hawaii.

Everyone knows that Hawaii was formed from a series of volcanoes over millions of years. But did you know that you can experience one of them up close? Well, as close as you can while staying safe, obviously. The Halema'uma'u Crater has been active since 2008 when the vent first erupted. Since t...

This beach lives up to Hawaii’s stunning fame. You can park in the curved area that is set away from the road, or along the street. Follow the little signs down the trail to the beach. It’s a bit of a scamper down some lava rocks to get there, so be careful.  A highlight of this beach is that it...

When we chose to visit the volcanic big island of Hawaii, we knew that seeing an active lava flow was a must do. We decided to go at sunset and into the evening, as the lava flow would be spectacular under the dark night sky - we were right.  Start by driving to Kalapana, south of Hilo, on the e...

From the parking area, walk down the narrow, crazy steep four-wheel drive road for 0.75 mile until the road levels. A few 4WD vehicles, either foolhardy (tourist) or knowledgable (local) may be inching up and down. Head to the right toward the beach for 0.45 mile and arrive on the black sand beac...

Prep: Before you go, you must book purchase a permit/campsite for the number of nights that you wish spend. You can get the permits online from the State of Hawaii Department of Natural Resources Website. There are 9 sites located within the valley and some are most definitely better than other...