Hiking Hawaiʻi Island

Aptly dubbed the Big Island, Hawai‘i Island’s vast, diverse terrain offers a variety of trails for both avid and fair-weather hikers. Hikes span all skill levels from what can be described as, “What a lovely little jaunt!” to “Surely there’s an end…” and everything in between. With multiple microclimates and secluded sites, you’ll see and experience things possible only on foot. Some of these hikes are like nowhere else on Earth.

Things to keep in mind when hiking Hawai‘i Island

• Dress in layers. Temperatures vary dramatically across the island, especially as elevation increases.

• Bring a light rain jacket. Rain can occur at any time, so it’s best to be prepared for all weather conditions with sturdy shoes and rain protection.

• Bring plenty of water.

• Plan to go off the grid. Some hikes are in remote areas without cell phone service.

Good for: Beginners

Located in what is part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, outside the park itself, is one of my favorite hikes on the island. Little skill is required for this largely flat, 1.2-mile round-trip saunter through one of the most biodiverse areas you may ever see.

According to the trail guide provided by Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Kīpukapuaulu is broken down in Hawaiian as kīpuka, or “an island of ancient vegetation surrounded by a sea of younger lava flows,” plus pua, meaning “flower,” and ulu, meaning “growing.” Together, the name translates to “a fertile oasis of flourishing plants.”

Kīpukapuaulu is located in a Wao Akua, the realm of the gods, and is considered sacred by Native Hawaiians. Centuries of lava flows have surrounded but not crossed this kīpuka, isolating its native species and allowing endemic flora and fauna to flourish.

On any given day, you may spot the giant Hawaiian darner, the largest dragonfly in the U.S., or a crimson ʻapapane, an endemic bird species. Delicate native ʻōhiʻa lehua trees and rare hibiscus flowers also thrive here and are protected by the park.

Unobtrusive signage along the trail educates hikers about the species they are passing. Staying on the trail is vital to avoid harming the vulnerable life here.

Local tip: Temperatures can vary, due to ample tree cover, so dressing in layers is best.

Location: To reach the trailhead, instead of entering the national park, drive up Mauna Loa Road about 1.5 miles to the trail’s parking lot. From there, follow the signs to the trailhead.

Mauna Loa Rd, Volcano, HI 96785

Admission: Free

Parking: Free

Good for: Beginners

North of Hilo, this easy hike winds through a tropical rainforest to a viewing area of the 442-foot Akaka Falls. Along the paved trail, lined with handrails, you’ll also find the 100-foot Kahūnā Falls.

Just a half-mile in length with about 100 feet of elevation gain, this is an ideal hike for families. Among the growth along the trail, you can spot massive ferns unfurling, towering eucalyptus trees, bamboo groves, wild orchids, ginger plants and banyan trees draped with thick vines. The entire loop takes about a half an hour, although you may want to linger longer and behold the falls from one of the benches at the bottom. 

Location: From Honomu, north of Hilo, drive about 3.5 miles and follow the signs to Akaka Falls.

875 Akaka Falls Road, Honomu, HI 96728

Admission:

• Non-residents: $5

• Children under three: Free

Parking fee: $10

Good for: Intermediate to advanced hikers

“Just a little hike…” was how my friend described it the first time we scaled Puʻu Waʻawaʻa, which rises 1,900 feet in elevation. A little hike it was not. The route is eight miles round trip, though we could have turned back before reaching the summit. About halfway up, there’s a bench that looks especially inviting after a couple of miles of steady uphill climbing.

Cresting the summit hours after we had embarked on our journey and gasping for breath, the effort became worth it once we saw the view below: miles of coastline, ancient lava flows and four volcanoes.

Visible for miles along Highway 190, also known as Hawaiʻi Belt Road, north of Kona, Puʻu Waʻawaʻa may be the oldest cinder cone on the island, standing for roughly 100,000 years. Puʻu Waʻawaʻa, meaning “furrowed hill,” gets its name from the many water-eroded grooves etched into its hillsides.

As you hike the Puʻu, you pass through several ecosystems, including one of the most endangered on Earth: tropical dry forest. For thousands of years, lava flows have surrounded the hill rather than covering it, allowing old-growth ʻōhiʻa lehua trees to survive for more than a century. These native and endemic trees, nearly wiped out by livestock introduced in the 1800s, are now protected by fencing, on-site reforestation efforts and volunteer care.

Along the way, you will pass a former obsidian and pumice quarry, where vibrant flowers dot the landscape. Because of the forest bird sanctuary here protecting avian populations, you may see native and endemic species such as the ʻio, or Hawaiian hawk, and the ʻapapane, a Hawaiian honeycreeper.

The ʻŌhiʻa Trail is less than two miles long one way, while the Cinder Cone Trail leads to the summit.

Local tip: Make sure to bring supportive shoes and dress in layers, including rain protection, as afternoon showers can develop quickly and temperatures drop as you ascend.

Location: Access the trailheads by entering the forest reserve through an automatic cattle gate between mile markers 21 and 22 off Highway 190, then park in one of the designated areas. Roads once used by miners or ranchers are now followed by hikers, with sporadic signage guiding the way.

71-1645 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Admission: Free

Parking: Free

Good for: Intermediate hikers

Sculpted into the slopes of Kohala Mountain over millennia, the fertile Pololū Valley is the northernmost of Hawai‘i Island’s sacred valleys and where King Kamehameha I was raised. Generations of Native Hawaiians have called this valley and its surroundings home, many growing kalo, or taro, and laying their loved ones and ali‘i, or royalty, to rest here. Because of its deep-rooted historical significance, the Pololū Valley is considered a wahi pana, or sacred place, deserving of immense reverence while visiting.

Standing at the trailhead overlook, the vast, lush landscape seems surreal. The writhing ocean pummels miles of verdant cliffs and a black sand beach to your left while Pololū, meaning long spear, reaches into the island, carpeted by greenery, to your right.

While only about a half-mile in length each way, it is the elevation loss and gain (about 450 feet) along the cliff-hugging dirt path, lined with rocks and tree roots, that makes this an intermediate hike. Sturdy shoes are recommended, although you may see brave people trekking barefoot. Along the way, glimpses of the stunning landscape and black beach below are seen through ironwood and native hala trees.

Ryan Lafferty, Pololū trailhead steward for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, reminds hikers to please be respectful while visiting as there are burial grounds in the valley; in fact, his fellow steward Auntie Sarah has ancestors there. The hike is just to the beach and back — not into the valley or up the other side — as the surrounding lands are private property.

Lafferty also warns hikers, when they reach the beach at the bottom the ocean is not safe for swimming, and this hike should be avoided entirely when it rains as the trail can become treacherous.

Local tip: On warm days, leave early, the heat gets intense later in the day coming back up the hill. Also, there are no restroom facilities at this hike. The nearest restrooms are located at Keokea Beach Park just before you reach Pololū Valley Trailhead.

Location: Pololū Valley Trailhead is at the very end of the Akoni Pule Highway, past the quaint towns of Hawi and Kapa‘au.

52-5100 Akoni Pule Hwy, Kapaau, HI 96755

Admission: Free

Parking: Free, but can be difficult, as the lot is quite small, requiring many to park along the highway farther from the trailhead. I suggest arriving early when there is more parking and the weather is cooler.