This is a very pretty park with nice picnic grounds and an ~ 2 mile walking path along the river…read morewhere there are nice, small waterfalls. We ate a picnic lunch then took a walk along the full trail. There do not seem to be bathrooms or trash receptacles, so pack your waste out.

Also known as Ulu La'au, this is a nice and beautiful 10-acre gem and peaceful nature park in the…read morecenter of Waimea Town (Kamuela). It's operated and maintained by the local volunteer group, Waimea Outdoor Circle. There is a nice stream coming through along with a walking trail nearby. The park also has covered picnic areas, and many of the benches are located beneath shade trees or along the stream. You'll also find a native plant garden and various memorials dedicated to past gardeners. There is on-site parking but it is very limited. Great nature park overall!

Man, when you stay driving from Hilo to Kailua-Kona, what if you gotta pee real bad, or do numba…read more#2??? Thank goodness for da Gilbert Kahele Recreation Center! You are my savior!!! I don't know if the Gilbert Kahele Recreation Center is considered a "half-way point" when driving from Hilo to Kona, but what I can assure you of, is a fairly clean public restroom when ya need it! Lol! Looking around at this facility, it appears that you can actually camp out here, as I see some structures that appears to be cabins, and there is also a playground for the kids. The Gilbert Kahele Recreational Center is just off of the Daniel Inouye Highway and is quite east to find, as the Pohakuloa Training Center is nearby. I've been up here many times during the winter, as well as during the hot summers. Be aware that coming up here in the winter can get pretty cold due to the elevation. Aside from the pit-stop restroom, there's not too much up here to do, but if you have a chance to camp up here, I can imagine this place to be pretty peaceful.

Super convenient, clean, not crowded, right off the highway 200…read more It's the Hilbert Kahele Recreation Area. It's the perfect rest stop! Amazing! Thank you so much for such keeping super clean!

This is a public park in the Lokahi Makai neighborhood. There is a large grassy field with a giant…read moretree towards the end that provides lots of shade. The amenities include a pavilion with a few picnic tables, clean restrooms, a kitchen area with a sink, outlets, water fountains and two bbq pits. You can reserve the pavilion for parties theough the city and county. This park is usually pretty quiet during the day so I like bringing my toddler to walk around and explore. This is technically not a dog park but you will see people in the neighborhood bringing their dogs to play, many off leash just fyi. There is also a little loop path behind the pavilion that goes around the rocks and trees with two benches. Overall, a cute neighborhood park to hang out. I hope one day they consider building a small playground for all the little ones in the neighborhood!

I love this beach. Especially, on a windy day. The first part of the beach is more for small…read morechildren. The rocks block the current so it's also a great spot for snorkeling. Once you drive into area, you go to security area and state you are there for the beach. They will let you know if parking lot/beach is full. If not, you are given a pass to enter. You make a u-turn and it will be the first right. You just press button for security and I'm sure they are watching and recognize you, they buzz you in. There will be signs to follow. This is a clean beach. Bathrooms are so very clean, showers are warm. White sands and beautiful water. You have a choice to walk down further. It's really nice. The water is just gorgeous and such a calm place. We come here often. It's easy to get to and like I said, very clean. Security is so very friendly and very welcoming!

A great beach area via access through the Four Seasons. Locals know. Lots of parking, bathrooms and…read moreshower. Aloha!

Super fun for our four grandchildren!! Kept the occupied for a couple of hours. Thank you to all…read morewho work there. Some exhibits were "tired" looking. But some fun stuff!!

Nice place to walk, browse, shop and eat while in the Waikoloa Beach area. Also nice views of the…read morelake.

I can't say enough favorable things about my family's experience with Hawaii Laser Tag. First, the…read moreowners Charles and Kim Overcash are amazing, kind and helpful people. Just good people! I had taken my 4 kids to play outdoor laser tag in Kona around Labor Day . At the time they were portable and came to where we were staying. At the time we had a total of 6 players. This time, December 7th we only had 3 players, which isn't ideal for a game. Without batting an eye, Kim called around and invited her own family members to play so that I could give my kids the game they love! It was so important to my family and I can't thank the Overcash's enough! The operational venue is outstanding! The lush forested area high in the clouds makes for a real-life experience and makes the game that much more challenging for the players! If you visit the Big Island and you're looking for an activity that doesn't involve water this is it! The price is $$ and worth it!

Super fun, very realistic battle setup. Great for kids 8 and up. Gear is top notch and works…read moreflawlessly. Owners were great, very accommodating, highly recommend. Also cool setting and close to Kona.

Beautiful park with a well-marked and well-maintained trail system; great for a day hike. It…read morewasn't nearly as remote or primitive as I had been led to believe by online descriptions of it. There are flush toilets, several cabins, and a nice covered picnic area. We saw one other couple there, but there were also rangers and maintenance workers around. The forest is very dense, with ferns, moss, VERY large trees and a lot of birds. We saw some exotic "sea anemone" mushrooms and a lot of ginger flowers. There is an easier nature trail near the picnic area near the bottom of the park. The rest of the trails are all uphill from the entrance. We hiked most of the trails in the park in less than four hours. The park is basically laid out in a rectangle maybe a little more than a mile from top to bottom and maybe less than a mile side to side. You start at the bottom; the parking lot is near the middle of the bottom side. There is a four-mile-or-so loop that goes around the perimeter of the park - part of that loop is called the horse perimeter trail. On the other side of the rectangle is a "gulch" trail that runs uphill mostly along a deep gulch said to have been formed mostly by pleistocene era glacial ice-cap runoff. The gulch trail is connected to the "perimeter" trail by a trail across the top of the park. There is an old "jeep trail" that runs straight up the middle of the park from the parking lot to the top of the rectangle, and a couple shorter transverse trails that run between and perpendicular to the jeep trail and the gulch trails. There are signs located at all of the trail intersections. There are a few places where water can run through the park during up-mountain rains, leading to possible flash-flooding. Some descriptions of the park say the flash-floods can be dangerous, and in at least one place there is the potential to be washed down into the gulch. Some descriptions say that the trails can be muddy. When we were there in August, the trails were hard-packed and the streams dry.

Lovely, peaceful trails at this park. In this visit we only had time for the nature trail which was…read morewell maintained and had a number of interpretive signs describing the various trees and shrubs. Also near the nature trail is the arboretum of native plants with additional interpretive signs, be sure to visit both areas. If you have more time, do the jeep trail to gulch trail as a loop.

This is a great 'less known' beach. I recently spent 3 days…read moreon this beach and there was never more than just a few people. The water is clear and very little waves in May so it was perfect for floating around, snorkeling or swimming. We saw a few turtles swim by as we were floating around enjoying the water. No lifeguards, no bathrooms, no parking lot, no nothing.... just a trail down to a nice beach. More locals than tourists usually. Leave your resort wear and screaming kids at the resort. This is a mellow beach......... don't ruin it for the rest of us.

Tucked away and not too crowded even at peak season this is a little golden nugget of a beach. Some…read moresnorkeling opportunities just off the beach too, explored a few small coral reefs with schools of tropical fish and even a large sea turtle.