Hiking on Hawaiʻi Island

The Big Island doesn't offer one hiking experience — it offers several, stacked on top of each other across an island still actively being shaped by volcanic activity. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is the most ecologically diverse hiking destination in the state: 150-plus miles of trail through lava fields, rainforest, crater rims and coastal cliffs. The signature hike, the Kīlauea Iki Trail, takes you four miles into a crater and across a solidified lava lake; the Crater Rim and Halemaʻumaʻu trails offer more accessible volcanic views without the full descent; and the Kīpukapuaulu Trail winds through an older forest surrounded by lava flows — one of the quieter, more underrated walks in the park. Conditions shift with volcanic activity, so always check the park's alerts before heading out. Away from the park, on the northern edge of Hualālai volcano, the 3,967-foot Puʻu Waʻawaʻa cinder cone is a drier, less-crowded summit hike through native dry forest with views of the Kohala Coast — one of the most overlooked hikes on the island.

Maunakea, sacred in Native Hawaiian culture, is in a category of its own: a summit hike at 13,803 feet that requires acclimating at the Visitor Information Station at 9,200 feet for at least 30 minutes before continuing. The altitude is serious and conditions at the top can be severe. Thirteen observatories housing 21 telescopes sit above the clouds at the summit. Tour companies run guided sunrise, sunset and stargazing experiences for those who don't want to hike it independently — highly recommended.

The Big Island's valleys are among the most dramatic on earth. Pololū Valley, on the North Kohala coast, offers a short, steep descent — roughly 0.9 miles and 420 feet of switchbacks down to a black sand beach with emerald sea cliffs rising on either side. The hike takes about 20 minutes each way, but the view from the overlook alone is worth the drive. You can no longer hike down into Waipiʻo Valley — the access road is closed to non-resident pedestrians — but you can drive to the Waipiʻo Valley Lookout for its waterfalls and taro fields, just steps from the parking lot. Nearby on the Hāmākua Coast, the 442-foot ʻAkaka Falls is reachable by an easy quarter-mile paved loop.

The best coastal hikes are on the Kona side. The Captain Cook Trail descends about 1,300 feet to Kealakekua Bay, where you can swim and snorkel around the Captain Cook Monument — reachable only by trail or by boat. Makalawena Beach, in Kekaha Kai State Park, takes a two-mile round-trip hike over ancient lava flows to reach its secluded white sand and calm water.

Maunakea is the tallest mountain on earth measured from its base on the ocean floor, and its 13,803-foot summit sits in conditions most visitors are not prepared for. The altitude gain from sea level to summit is roughly equivalent to the climb from Everest base camp to the top. The drop in oxygen and atmospheric pressure can cause altitude sickness, which can escalate to life-threatening High Altitude Pulmonary Edema or Cerebral Edema. The mandatory first stop is the Visitor Information Station (Hale Pōhaku) at 9,200 feet, where you must acclimate at least 30 minutes, register, and use the buddy system.

Do not travel above the Visitor Information Station if you are under 13, pregnant, intoxicated, have scuba dived in the past 24 hours, or have high blood pressure or heart or respiratory conditions. Descend immediately and seek medical attention if you experience headache, nausea, shortness of breath, impaired judgment or loss of balance.

A dependable, fully operable 4WD or AWD vehicle is required for summit travel. The eight-mile summit road climbs nearly 5,000 feet, with unpaved single-lane sections, and most rental contracts explicitly prohibit it. The summit closes to visitors 30 minutes after sunset, and winter can bring snow, ice and 100-mph winds at any time of year.

Maunakea is also sacred ground. Since the first telescope was built on the mauna in 1964, there has been ongoing conflict between Native Hawaiians and those seeking to build more observatories, most recently a proposed 30-meter telescope. In Hawaiian culture the ʻāina — the land that feeds us — is not property but kin, and Hawaiians carry a responsibility to protect and care for it.