Loved this 5 miles round trip hike to the beach. Huge variety of vegetation and most of the trail…read moretramps through a tree forest. The tree forest is interesting with some abandoned and vegetation encrusted old jeeps and cars, historic rock walls and towards the end, spur trails to the sea cliffs, and a collapsed lava tube. At the end is a gorgeous bay favored by sea turtles. We saw at least 23 turtles on our visit. Please note that this trail is muddy and very muddy in spots even when it has not been raining, and the footing is very uneven so it is not for the casual walker, for flip flops or any shoes that you don't mind getting very muddy. I found that having hiking poles was helpful in order to gage how thick the mud was at various places on the pathway. Go early as it is very humid by late morning or mid day.

The Puna Trail that leads from the dirt parking lot to the secluded Shipman Beach (Ha'ena Beach) is…read more2-1/2 miles in each direction and consists of a jungle, lava rocks, and muddy conditions. It can be challenging especially during the rainy periods and at times it may seem forever until you reach the very end. Nevertheless, I was finally able to make it to the beach and it was worth it in the very end, though it's not one of these points of interest that I would want to do again. As for Shipman Beach, it's a nice place to relax at if it wasn't for the strong waves and currents particularly during the winter months. On better days, you might even see some sea turtles hanging out on the rocks nearby (do not approach them!). Best to apply bug repellant prior to hiking and make sure to scrub your shoes before and after at the trailhead brush.

We found this place on our way back from the "End of the Road" and really enjoyed our time. The…read moreview from the cliffs are truly amazing and I took some really great photos. The parking lot is indeed small, but a great place to sit for a minute, use the bathroom, or have a picnic lunch. Highly recommended.

We took the red road and stopped here for some amazing views of the ocean waves crashing into the…read morerocks and cliffs. Nature at its best! You can also walk along the coast for a bit. Bathrooms are available and free parking. Quite private and little to no people. Highly recommend this place.

This place is super exciting! The downfall is that it's far from Kona, so my family and I were…read morereally tired when we got back to our hotel room. It's best to come here at night to really see the lava flow, but be up for the long drive back to Kona if that's where you're staying.

A difficulty arises in writing a review for a natural phenomenon - these things can be so…read moresubjective and even temperamental based on the time of year, weather, personal opinion, et cetera - but Kalapana Lava Flow is undoubtedly one of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders I've ever experienced. And it's definitely something you experience rather than just see - you see the juicy yellow and orange glow of the molten lava, you feel the heat radiating on your face from several yards away, and you hear the cracks and pops as it slowly settles and oozes onto the land beneath it. You feel as though you are witnessing the last remnants of Creation, the sixth day has yet to finish, and the primordial energy of eons past is still in the throes of its final breaths. You and your fellow observers will likely feel the need to whisper and speak in hushed tones, as if it is holy ground or the embodiment of some celestial force. Anyway, if you can see the flow at night, this'll undoubtedly be one of the most profoundly majestic experiences you can imagine. The lava ebbs and flows even within the spans of minutes and hours, so don't be discouraged if you see only a bit of oozing rather than a true flow once you arrive. It's dynamic and moves slowly but stealthily, and a new eruption site can arise on the periphery that wasn't there just ten minutes prior. As a reference, we arrived at the bike rental area (from Hilo, drive the 130 through Pahoa and completely to the south end of the 130, at which point it will force you onto a smaller road in a southwestern direction that will eventually dead end in a parking area), around 5pm, paid $20 a person for a high quality mountain bike, biked the first mile or two in, and then started our journey north over the rocks around 5:20. This leg took at least an hour or so, and we loitered around the different lava sites for at least an hour before making the trek back in the dark. All in all, allow for at least four hours of time from start to finish - we were driving away back to our condo at nearly 9pm exactly. Tips: - bring STRONG flashlights or headlamps for the trek back over the lava. The cheaper and dimmer the light, the more difficult. Also bring the basics such as cash, snacks, water, your [charged] camera and phone, and sunscreen for the trek in. - wear hiking boots; any sturdy tennis shoe will do but the igneous ground, often simultaneously rough, grainy, and hot, will do a number on any flimsy sneakers. Don't wear any stylish or fancy tennis shoes either, or even hardy sandals - I guarantee you will regret it. - if you wear contacts, bring back up glasses. - don't park at the first parking area or get your bike from the vendors; shop around smart. Many vendors are obnoxiously hawkish. - on a similar note, do indeed get a bike to go the first mile or so! The first leg of the walk is pretty but dry and dusty and pales in comparison to the actual destination. All the bike companies look like they throw in extra lights, water, and snack bars. You'll really appreciate the bike for the last leg back as well - best $20 spent so far. My husband and I both finished up the trip in complete agreement that seeing the lava up close in person was one of the most spectacular moments of our lives thus far!

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 a mike above Rainbow Falls. Another special…read moreexperience. We were alone on the lookout. Surreal .

Worth a quick visit if it's on your way from Kona into Hilo, and you want to see a waterfall…read morewithout a hike into it. Located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, just 5-10 minutes from Downtown Hilo, this is a lush park with a small, free parking lot and a bathroom facility. You walk right up to a lookout point and look left and right (there's no hiking access to the waterfalls or the pools). Look left to see the Pe'epe'e waterfalls upriver in the distance. Look down and to the right to see the Boiling Pots - the river carved tiered pools into lava rock, and when the river is high from heavy rains, the water flows through the pools and swirls, looking like boiling pots. The water was low and not swirling when we visited last month, but we still appreciated seeing this as we didn't do the coastal drive to see the bigger waterfalls. I hear that Rainbow Falls, just about 1.5 miles away has pretty falls that you can get closer too, so add that to your list.

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.

After coming across social media post, Carlsmith Beach Park was a must visit for me! I added it to…read morethe list of places for my uber driver/hubby to take me. We missed it the very first time, the hubby took me to the wrong beach & had to re-route. I remember it is hard to find via GPS if you miss the turn. We found parking after the beach and walked down. When I walked to Carlsmith Beach to finally check it out for the very first time, my heart just melted and just had that Wow, grateful, OMG moments and also feels like DeJaVu. I also asked my husband to pinch me, that I am not dreaming. It was so nice to just experience this live in real life, such tranquil atmosphere, crystal clear waters. I just love the color of the water, the ocean, so beautiful! Carlsmith Beach Park in Hilo is a hidden gem for sure! After we took our tons of photos, enjoyed the scenery which I really wanted to stay longer but we had a busy day ahead. For next time I visit, I would love to picnic & enjoy lunch under the coconut, palm trees and go swimming. Although I didn't sea turtles during my visits, hopefully next time.

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.

When we went it was on and off raining. The stairs are quite steep- down to the two caves. One on…read morethe right and one on the left. If you have trouble with balance etc. you should consider waiting in the car as the caves were wet and slippery. Was just accross the street from the parking lot. We were there for about 1/2 an hour. And it's FREE! I enjoyed seeing what the lava had created. We went to the volcano after this. Recommend flashlights and at least one head lamp. Phone lights are just too little!

Right around the corner from where I stayed. It's clothing optional. Some folks enjoyed…read moresummersaults and tree climbing in there nothingness. The waves can be quite strong. It's pretty, and popular.

Beautiful beach. Ocean is rough, no lifeguards. The hike…read moredown to the beach is difficult. So be careful. There are 2 separate ways to get to the beach. It's very quiet, black sand beach. There was less than 25% of those in the nude during our few hours on the beach, no one seem to flaunt about. Just carefree individuals.

A far far drive, but well worth every minute! Punalu'u Beach is a gem, wonder of the Earth!…read more The black sand beach is absolutely stunning! I appreciate the the boundaries they have in place to protect the turtles from tourists and keep their environment as sacred and safe as possible. It's truly a spiritual experience and a must visit!

We stopped here for just a bit while we were on our way to volcanoes national Park. We were with a…read moregeologist with Hawaiian GEO tours. You can climb the lava rocks and enjoy the amazing waves that are coming in or you can walk over to the black beach. We were told the black beach is formed as the lava from volcanic eruptions hits the water it ends up, exploding somewhat, and creating this black sand beach. It's warm to the touch. The green sea turtles love to come here and lay in the sand as it helps regulate their body temperature so the beach has cordoned off an area for them so they have a safe spot to rest. There are restrooms here as well as a pretty large picnic shelter as this seems to be a stop on many excursions on this island. It's free and everything was fairly clean. We really enjoyed this amazing part of the world.

Lava Tree State Park features unique natural formations called "lava trees" created when tree…read moretrunks are overtaken by lava. It is a smaller park with a paved walking trail and ample parking. We went on a Sunday on our way to the Maku'u Farmer's Market so the drive out was definitely worth it when you consolidate spots nearby.

Although, the park is a bit of a drive between the jungle and the aftermath of volcanic ash lies…read morethe famous lava trees formations after the hot lava scorched the land submerging with burned trees create these lava tree stumps. Over time the resilient jungle emerges from where the moisture collects. In the open parking lot are public restrooms and clearly market trail that loops around. The lush greenery reminds us how magical Mother Nature is.