The service as well as the fresh baked scones and bread was awesome. My grand son totally enjoyed…read morethe whole day feeding the animals despite the rain

Amazing little farm run by the sweetest family! I…read moreaccidentally booked our tour for the wrong day, but when we showed up, they were so kind and still welcomed us in. We were so grateful! The animals are clearly well loved--there were baby pigs, goats (one with her adorable kids), huge tortoises, a beautiful dairy cow, baby bunnies, and the sweetest donkey named Arthur who looked like he was smiling! My kids had such a great time. Their son Isaiah gave us the best little tour--he was so knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend this place for a wholesome, fun family outing!

This has been a fantastic day. We got here at the very beginning of the day and went to the…read moretemporary visitor center. We bought some souvenirs and spent some time with the park Ranger. Within walked right across from the front side of the temporary visitor center down a short trail to see steam vents and then we began a two or three hour journey through various parts of the park, including a 3 mile round-trip hike that we took to go to the lava tubes. One thing I would recommend is getting up and out early because the crowds are much less and more easy to manage the earlier you begin the journey. I highly recommend a visit here if you have the opportunity, it is amazing and really hard to describe if you've never seen it. The rock and the landscape that are created by the lava flows is something to behold. The road that takes you down through the park from the visitor center area all the way to the ocean was built in about 1969 and since that time there's only been about 13 years where the entire road has been passable due to active lava flows all through the many years since the road was built. It's an amazing story that you can see and in my opinion, you can see the fingerprints of God all through the amazing tour that I took today with my family. We got to see the glow of the eruption and see some fire and lava from the top at Volcano House!

It'd been over several years since our last visit to Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island…read more The visitor center is closed. There's a temporary one near the military camp. We passed it and went on the rim center drive. We stopped first at the steam vents then headed to the rim. We parked the car, and headed on the gravel trail. New to us. Kept walking uphill. Then we recognized where we ended up. The Jagger Museum is gone. Found out later at the temporary visitor center that the 2018 eruption shook so hard the museum collapsed. It was built from wood. Now there's only an outline of where it once stood. The restrooms withstood the eruption as it's built from rock. We missed the current eruption by several hours on May 30 last Saturday. The ranger said it was imminent. We were in the park around 1pm. Kilauea erupted around 6:30pm lasting nine hours. No way we wanted to drive back 2 1/2 hours the next day from Waikoloa although it would have been bragging rights. The rim trail has improved. It's a longer trail than before. We didn't drive down to the sea this time.

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.

Perfect hike for relaxing vacation. Mostly flat and only up & down to get to the walk on the crater…read moreitself. 3.3 miles around the rim (include walking across the crater). Lots of great views around the crater from all angles. And it was fun to be in the crater itself. You have to follow a path of stacked rocks else you won't find the place to exit the crater. It's a very doable hike for beginners; unless it's hot. Then it might be more challenging. There are several parking areas, but I didn't know that, so ended up parking on the edge of a closed street and 'finding' my own trail to get to the main trail. haha.

This awesome 4 mile looped hike takes you to the bottom of a crater and provides beautiful views…read morewhile it takes you through changing scenery and varying temperatures. You can start this hike in a counter-clockwise direction at Kilauea Iki overlook, number 4 on your map. You'll find more available parking here during peak times. You can start your hike clockwise from Nahuku, number 3 on your map, which is also the same location as the Thurston Lava Tube. Due to the popularity of the Lava Tube, parking here can be difficult. The distance between the two parking lots is .5 miles. We started our hike at Nahuku around noon in December. This moderate level trail started with a chilly walk through a forest of ferns down stairs and over roots with muddy spots throughout. Once you reach the bottom, you can walk across the crater and over lava rocks. The weather at this point was windy. Once we reached the end of the crater and climbed our way back up to the trail, we took a break and had some lunch overlooking the crater. From this point. It was a 2 mile hike up to the top. The weather changed once again, and my jacket was no longer needed. Make sure you bring or wear the following: -Layered clothing to adapt to the varying temps -Hiking shoes with good traction -Hat -Water -Snacks or lunch -Sunscreen Restrooms are available at both starting points, but the overlook location are porta potties. I suggest using the restrooms at the lava tube. We left the location around 2pm and it was pretty crowded. Best to arrive by noon to avoid crowds. -

DO NOT BOOK! I booked a tour online and showed up at 5am and no one was there!! They did not answer…read moremy calls, texts, or emails. So I was stuck at the park in the dark at 5am by myself and very upset to not see lava. Still awaiting my refund ...

News of the recent Kilauea volcanic activity on the island of Hawaii reminded me that I still…read morehadn't reviewed EpicLava, and my phenomenal experience with John and his wonderful team this past Christmas. The word epic may not even do justice to the ethereal experience of watching these rivers of liquid fire up close; the flowing lava is 2,400 degrees hot! The 5-mile hike over pahoehoe lava fields starts at 4AM, so that by the time the blazing sun is in the sky, you're well-nigh finished with much of the exposed hike. These folks have an unwavering focus on the safety of the group; they pace the hike according to the capabilities of all the individuals in the group. John's passion about this geological marvel is contagious. John and Jessica advise visitors to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, long socks, and sturdy, closed-toed shoes for the hike; they provide gloves (along with water and snacks) for the hike. This is because the sand particles covering the lava flow crust have the sharpness of broken glass, and can cause serious cuts if they come in contact with the human skin. By the time I had finished the hike, I had already planned my next trip with this team of lava explorers.

Have you ever wanted to take a walk on an alien planet? What a strange and beautiful landscape…read more There aren't a lot of tourists here, and getting here means turning off the Google Maps once you're near and using an old fashioned map with a little sense of adventure. I think most people end up in the parking lot wondering "is this the place?" Follow the home drawn signs and keep walking. Don't dress for swimming, this isn't a swimming beach, wear sturdy shoes, workout shoes with good support or even hiking boots. Wear a hat to protect your head and sunscreen before you get out (it takes a few minutes for sunscreen to work). There is no way I can prepare you for what you will see, it's not like anything else I've ever encountered. So bizarre, so uncommonly beautiful.

We loved the black sand beach with turtles coming in to rest. Not much sand mostly rocks and the…read moreday we went it was windy and I wouldn't swim.

This was an awesome place to see! It was raining during our visit, and it honestly set thw ambiance…read moreto see the lava tubes so well! I didn't realize how dark they were. Of course, I also didn't realize it was, more or less, underground until we arrived, so that was interesting. I love the area and how the lava tube is set back into the forest. It's a gorgeous area and such a cool feature to see. Next visit I totally want to see it at night!

The first lava cave I've ever gone through was in New Zealand, Rangitoto Island. It was a bit more…read morechallenging than this little lava tube. This was the second lava tube I've ever gone through, and it was quite easy and short. Easy that families and kids walk through it like nothin'! Inside, the trail is pretty flat and wide in some parts. The ceiling height isn't very high, but also wasn't too low that you'd have to duck down all the time. We came here on a rainy day, so there were a few small puddles we had to go around. The trail was lit up with lights along the path as well. So you won't really get lost. But I still ended up turning on my cell phone light just for safety. Walking through it was just basically making a big U shape from one end to the other. There wasn't a lot of people walking with us, compared to what others have reviewed. I guess we came at the right time. From the parking lot to the entrance (starting right), the paved trail headed downward to the lava tube was very green and very tropical. I was excited just being surrounded by all the plants and nature in general. After the lava tube walk, the greenery was a bit more open and woodsy as we looped back to the parking lot. We finished this walk in about 15 minutes. And although short, we all found it enjoyable from start to finish.

I took my teens and preteen, and we all really enjoyed it. It's a great hike for energetic kids and…read moreteens who need to burn off some energy without taking on an overly difficult trail. Devastation Trail is one of those places that really makes you appreciate the power of nature. The paved trail is easy to follow, but the views are anything but ordinary. Walking through a landscape created by a volcanic eruption while seeing plants slowly reclaim the area is fascinating. The overlook at the end offers beautiful views of the crater and surrounding volcanic terrain, making it a perfect spot for photos. It's a relatively short walk, but it's packed with incredible scenery and history. If you're visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, don't skip this trail, it may be brief, but it's one of the most unique experiences on the Big Island.

Trail along a path of lava from an eruption n 1959!…read more The view from the parking lot of the crater alone is worth the trip to the trailhead. The lava fountain was among the tallest in history reaching a height between the Empire State Building and Burj Dubai! That is incredible. To have been there in person would have been powerfully awesome. The trail takes you through trees and along lava fields. It can get chilly during depending on the weather and time of year you visit, so dress appropriately. One of my favorite places.

Lava Tube Lava Tube Lava Tube!…read more Did you ever think you'd see inside of a real, live lava tube? I DIDN'T! But. I did!!! How cool - great hike - great nature find - great and must do part of a visit to the park!

This lava tube experience was awesome. It was a short hike. Though the lava tube had lights inside,…read morethere were still some areas that were dark such that one could step into puddles of water if one is not careful. Got to see different plants and flowers around that are unique to the area. Definitely worth checking out if you have time while in the Volcanoes National Park.

This spot is off the beaten path, with no real signs leading to the sight. Although I had…read moreresearched it, we really arrived by accident and were just exploring. Goats wandering around, beautiful views and a little hike to get to the water across burial grounds. The views were really amazing. We came here twice, once during a rain storm and the other on a beautiful sunny morning. This is a special spot that you should not miss. B

Fantastic. Can't say enough. Quiet amazing place to eat a dinner and watch the sunset. Ocean…read morecrashing into lava rock all around you. The view is outrageous.