Cute playground, right in the center of town for the kids. I wish you could see the ocean from here…read moreor be beach side but no such luck. The structure is a bit older and a bit dirty. There is a swing on site which my daughter loves.

The OLD lady security guard couldn't stop a fight and kids seen a fight happen! I also seen her…read morekick someone out because their music was too loud. He turned it down and she still kicked him out! I think it was because he is black!

Playground for kids in Hilo. Nice place to let kids run around. Playground area is artificial…read moreturf with some porous rubber that doesn't hold water - so the ground is dry even right after the rain. Although "seriously" is this the only playground for kids in all of Hilo?!?

I will finish this later but wanted to lock in first to review…read more Large open field to run around in Restrooms Drinking fountain Close proximity to some fast food options 10 benches 2 pavilions with 2 tables each, no BBQ pits 5 picnic tables uncovered Large play structure with: - 2 large slides, 3 small - 2 swings, 2 baby swings - pull-up bar - various climbing things - rubberized base Street parking on bordering roads 3 stars because: Homeless all round Restrooms nasty Limited shade over play area, all around the park border Rubberized base has many holes only partially fixed-safety hazard 2 of my kids gave it a 2.5 and 3 star rating No climbing trees

Best playground equipment in all of Hilo and surrounding areas. This is a convenient playground to…read morevisit when I run errands in town because it's close to grocery and other shopping. Added bonus, I found $12 unclaimed dollars here

Pana'ewa is the go-to gym in Hilo if you want to get a game of pick-up basketball in. With three…read morefull-size covered courts, there's plenty of space for games to run. That said, not all of the courts are always open at the same time, as children's basketball and volleyball practices do take place in the gym later in the afternoon, depending on the time of year. Being that there's not really anywhere else that is open on a regular basis in town, however, you just deal with it and are happy to get a game in when you can. The majority of people who come to play here are really nice and easy to get along with. And as long as you don't act like a jerk, they're pretty accepting as well.

Beautiful protected waters, free parking, amazing sunsets…read more While exploring al the beaches in Hilo, I stumbled across this gem. So peaceful. A series of sea walls make up several calm, clear pools of water with the open sea beyond. I found this area enchanting! Easy parking perfect for keikis and older people, or persons with mobility issues.

Wow how things have changed from when I grew up. This place was once tje bomb to be. At one point…read moreit was cleaned up real nice. Now it is dirty and overcrowded as well as broken and wore out.

It's a small but awesome zoo. My grandson enjoyed himself. It's not too crowded and he was able to…read moresee the animals. They were up and moving in their cages. The tiger exhibit was the highlight for us, as the tiger was out and walking in its big enclosure. Before we left we got us some braddah pops. Haven't had them in so long, it hit the spot after walking the zoo.

Not a good zoo. I don't have many photos because I just found it too sad. The lizards and frogs all…read morehad extremely tiny, smaller than arms length wide, filthy and moldy cages with dirty glass you couldn't see through. Many of the turtles were water turtles who swim in rivers and streams yet they could only crawl into their tiny body sized water dishes for relief from the heat. The tigers were nowhere to be seen. The monkeys, especially the capuchins, definitely have zoochosis-- they were kept in tiny cages, pacing profusely, alone, with very little enclosure enrichment and subpar toys. The toys and enrichment, in general, for the animals were almost all torn up and falling apart. They had some of the smaller mammals sleeping in dog cages, and turtles were drinking water from old paint containers. There were visible piles of cardboard and garbage in the back of the cages. They all seemed exhausted, lonely and almost all of the animals were pacing. This is an irresponsible zoo that doesn't meet the needs or proper care of the animals. Everything was very dirty, old and falling apart ..fences were rusting, glass was dirty, and nearly all the birds were kept alone, in cages far too small for their species needs, without sufficient toys or even enough water. This place needs serious renovation...

Must see near Hilo! Super inconspicuous from the road, but very cool spot where you can walk…read morethrough two caves. The entry point is a very steep staircase and the terrain is rugged inside the caves so best to wear closed toe shoes with traction. I'd budget 20-30 minutes to spend here as you can't walk too far into the caves.

Very cool experience to walk through 2 caves…read more Bring a flashlight / headlamp. Your phone flashlight won't be as strong but can work if you have no options. Ideal shoes would be hiking boots but gym shoes will work. There are steep steps going down and then uneven rocks until the cave. The cave is uneven as well. Parking: maybe room for 10 cars, so parking could be difficult. When we went around 1pm on a Saturday, we didn't have a problem. Park and walk across the street to enter. Bathrooms: I did see some. Didn't use them though.

Relaxing and shady area (compared to other places) to take a stroll and take in the views. There's…read morehistory here and there's some historical plaques to read if you're interested. The "Japanese garden" was built to honor the early Japanese sugar cane plantation immigrants who played a massive role in Hawaiʻi's economy and society. I've been to other Japanese gardens (not in Hawai'i) so I was actually a bit shocked at how plain or underwhelming this was. It felt like a simple park with a lake with a couple of architectural Japanese bridges. There's a koi pond too and a couple of lanterns. Overall still a nice place to stroll and to admire and take in nature. We didn't stay too long because it was overly hot thought. We didn't really know where to park but I think there's street parking you can find.

Let's keep it simple…read more The below website link has all the information you could possibly want or need about the history/what you're going to see/map/volunteer information and more for the gardens. www.liliuokalanigardens.org/ The best summary I can give is this. The gardens are free. They are tranquil and they are beautiful. There is little to no issue with parking except for on the weekends when it was definitely busier but overall, there seemed to always be spaces either on Banyan Drive or on Lihiwai Street along the water. The only real small negative would be that some of the trails and walkways do washout and/or flood over due to the excessive amount of rain Hilo has gotten this year (and that was pre-Lala). If you're in the area or staying in Hilo, this is a nice stop whether for ten minutes or an hour.

A great park for filling your lungs with fresh air and sight with fresh colors. And, your canine…read morebuddy will think the same. Say Aloha to the Kolea birds from September to April and meet a stranger everyday with a nod and smile. No bathrooms, so prepare yourself before visiting.

Review #9 for 2021…read more Machado Park is a great park to walk your dog and to get some fresh air and exercise, especially during the pandemic. I don't know what my family would've done this last year without this park! There's lots of space in the park for people to stay spread apart, and the paved trail is great too. Some nice park goers tie plastic bags on the bordering fence so that in case others forget to bring bags to pick up after their dogs, there are bags available. The grass is well maintained, and the surrounding neighbors are all really nice too. Parking is only allowed on the park side of the street.

If you're staying/operating/visiting the Hilo area and are looking for a beach, this one is…read moreprobably as good as it gets. A few things to keep in mind: No such thing as big sandy beaches. They don't exist here. You've got a few patches of sand mixed with a lot of volcanic lava rocks (some smooth but most are different degrees of sharp). We visited twice on weekdays arriving in the late morning time frame. There is a good bit of parking here between along Kalanianaole Street and the main lot on Keauhaha Road. Each time when we arrived overall things weren't that busy but a few hours later, it was quite busy. I can't imagine what a weekend would look like? Trash, toilets and a lifeguard are here. We never saw any turtles but there were plenty of fish hanging out. IME, if you come during high tide and if you're in a deeper part of the water, you can get knocked around a little bit which with all of the jagged rocks... The scene itself is beautiful. The water is crystal clear, you can find some ok shade under one of the trees and overall it's very peaceful and serene. www.lovebigisland.com/big-island-beaches/carlsmith-four-miles/

This Beach park happened by accident when my niece was looking for a place for us to eat lunch in…read moreKona. This happened to be the closest picnic area that we could come to, thanks to a little tik- tok video she watched. If you're looking for a traditional beach with sand, this isn't the place. But what you'll get instead are the famous black lava rock formations Kona is known for that spill into several lagoons full of crystal clear water. As for eating, there are plenty of places to lay down a blanket in the grass, picnic and relax. The park has several trash cans for you to use as well and I did happily notice that the park was clean. I did not have to use the bathroom here so I can't comment on that. What impressed me the most was that they had built in stairs for you to walk into the ocean. In my entire life of traveling, I've never seen a beach park with built in stairwells to walk into the lagoons. This was a treat for me. If I have one big tip, it's to remember to have your water shoes because the rocks are sharp to walk on and can easily cut you if you're not careful. I also did read that they do have outdoor showers but I didn't see them when we were here. Lots of folks brought their own snorkeling gear because there were a lot of fish, not to mention at least 3 turtles that I saw swimming around. As I'm writing this review, I'm already missing Kona and the uniqueness of this island. If you plan on going to Kona, you must come and enjoy this place. It's truly special and I would recommend it to anyone.

A quiet neighborhood park...surprisingly large for the area it's tucked into...a side street off a…read moremain road. Perfect for letting the kids run around on the grass or for setting up a volleyball net and getting a picnic game on. Small public restroom area and a small covered picnic table area is available. Simple and no frills, this park is a good spot for a neighborhood walk or meet up.