Pleasant self-guided walk through lush tropical vegetation and to scenic vista points overlooking the cascading Kahuna Falls and the free-falling 'Akaka Falls which plunges 442 feet into a stream-eroded gorge. The 0.4-mile loop footpath requires some physical exertion.........more >

Hawaiaposi Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution -- processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture. The park encompasses diverse environments ........more >

Back in 1790, Hawaii got weird. Molten basalt from Kilauea surged through this part of the Puna district, wrapping wet 'ohi'a trees in thick, liquid rock. The inner wood burned completely away. What remains today at Lava Tree State Park are dozens of spooky, hollow stone chimneys standing tall in the ........more >

Alright class, pull up a chair. Forget the manicured resort beaches for a minute. If you drive out to the raw Puna coast on the Big Island, you'll stumble into Mackenzie State Park. Massive ironwood trees choke out the sun here, carpeted by thousands of slippery needles. You'll hear the ocean roar before ........more >

Pull over near mile marker 81. Most people driving between Kona and Ka just want a quick restroom break, but Manuka State Park gives you a weird, wonderful shift in climate at 1,700 feet elevation. Cool, misty air. You step out of the hot car and right into a noisy canopy of birds, surrounded by plants ........more >

Imagine you had just broken the sacred laws, the kapu, and the only punishment was death. Your only chance of survival is to elude your pursuers and reach the Puuhonua, a place of refuge. The Puuhonua protected the kapu breaker, defeated warriors, as well as civilians during the time of battle. No physical ........more >

Forget the fancy beach resorts. If you ever find yourself taking a field trip to Hilo, you have to drop by Wailoa River State Park. Most people speed right past it on Highway 11. Huge mistake. The park stretches across 130 acres of green space right in the middle of town. Cross those arched pedestrian ........more >