Loved every minute of hiking along this trail. From the beautiful flora to the sights that never…read moredisappointed, this trail offers an amazing view of an active volcano that formed the islands of Hawaii! Having taken in many of the US National Parks over my years, Volcanoes NP ranks up there in the fascinating views and spectacular floral presentations. Worth the vist to say the least!

This is a must do trail. Located across the road from the Kilauea Military Camp main building, it…read moreleads a little ways into a forest that will overlook the caldera and Halemaumau crater. Go if it is erupting. Trail is mostly flat to start, with an incline a bit later (not too steep). Avoid after a heavy rain, as it is leaf-covered and can get slick quick.

I have lived in Hawaii for several years, and NEVER go on tours. I decided to hire Native Hawaiian…read moreLava Adventures to take me down to the lava once i realized how dangerous venturing into the lava field would be alone. I couldn't be happier that I chose to do this. The guides were very informative, and experts at navigating through this very very harsh landscape. I was really lucky on my trip, when we got back to the parking, the family's Kava-Kava ('awa) bar was full of happy Hawaiians, playing live Hawaiian music. Come to find out its a pretty regular thing,but i really enjoyed it. Every one was super friendly, and it was one of the better experiences i've had on my numerous trips to The Big Island. tip: wear fully covered shoes, bring a good flash light with fresh batteries, bring lots of water (more than usual) and take lots of pictures! You dont want to get lost in the lava field... trust me... Hire a professional if your going to enter the field from the kalapana side!

I took the hike from Kalapana to the lava flow ocean entry -- "Kalapana Lava Walk" which is…read moreorganized from right near the Kalapana Village Cafe. There were 10 people on the tour which cost $50 from some kids who were related to "Uncle Robert" who owns most of the land in and around Kalapana. We left at 5:30 pm and it was light out but it was still rough going over the lava field. The scenery was beautiful, but when I asked our 20-something guide (Bryan) to stop for some photo ops, he said there wasn't time -- I took the pictures anyway and just fell behind, along with some of the slower members of our tour. But Bryan didn't slow down for anyone or anything except to stop other hikers that were out there independently to warn them that they were on private property and would be prosecuted (the Aloha spirit?). We finally got to the lava flow in the dark with our flashlights and it was truly spectacular. I'm not sure if I could have actually seen just as much from the end of highway 130 than from a 2 mile hike/run in the dark over a very rough and dangerous lava field. Then another 2 miles back. The most amazing thing was that when we were almost back, Bryan actually found a glowstick trail marker left by some of the other independent hikers who had gone out later and he TOOK IT! Not only is that greedy (because they didn't pay up the $50) but incredibly irresponsible and dangerous. I hope those other hikers got back safely. Finally, nearly running over rough lava in pitch blackness with little flashlights, inevitably, one of our group tripped, fell on the lava and got some (minor I think) cuts on her face. Maybe look for another way to get close to the lava.

Cheryl did a great job of showing us the way in and most important the way out in the dark. I had…read moreseeing the lava flowing on my bucket list for ten years Cheryl got it done. thanks for the memories John

As a lazy guy who mostly read reviews but barely writes some, I have to say this tour is one of the…read moreBEST experience I ever had! I have to post this five stars review as gratitude! Cheryl and Scott are remarkable guides and really care about our experience and safety. We saw some breathtaking views and took some awesome photos! I highly recommend Cheryl as your local guide if you would like to see the Lava. Hiking inside could be really dangerous without professionals, especially in the dark.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS TRAIL! NEVER!…read more Bandit and I suppose to be on this trail to get back on our car. But things turned upside down coz it took us 8-hours to get back and we were both frickin' tired. In short, we're lost! That is why I will never ever forget this trail. Haha. Tbh, t'was a nice easy hike but we just continued hiking almost all the way to sulphur banks. Lotsa vegetation and wild flowers bloom along the trail. At some point you can see the fumes of the volcano and a wide array of dry land (volcano rocks mostly). Byron ledge will surely provide an excellent view of Pu'upua'i cinder cone and sporadic vistas of Kilauea caldera. Also, it connects to the Kilauea Iki loop as well as Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube). If you stay on the left at the intersection, it will lead you to Devastation Trail. Mahalo for reading and happy juandering fellow yeeps.

Great spot to take a break and enjoy the view. It is a trailhead as well. There are bathrooms for…read morepublic use.

Nice spot for relaxation and to walk outdoors, great for hiking, clean, wonderful views, day campread more

one of the most incredible and unique things we have ever done. we poked lava with our stick until…read moreit was all burnt up. it seems rude we know but we wanted to throw more stuff into the lava just to see it burn up (but we didn't). be prepared when they say it's demanding - it really really was. and there isn't much to see during the hike - lots lava rock and a fern here and there. usually not even any ferns. sad. it was about 3.5 mi hike one way over this crunchy glassy creme brulee like lava fields, up and down. at times brutally hot and at times brutally cold and rainy. still it was worth it, just makes you feel so small when you how powerful nature is. steve and ken were very kind and accommodating and laid back. wear long pants - i wore capri length pants and little glass shards kept getting stuck in my socks and shoes. bring lotsa water. wear sunscreen. i got a wicked burn on my shoulders. no mosquitoes. actually nothing alive b/c the terrain is so barren. LAVA!!

My husband and I did the surface lava flow hike on Feb 13, 2011 with Steve and Ken and it was an…read moreamazing experience! We felt totally safe the whole time. Steve and Ken were very experienced, informative and all around nice people. This is the reason we went to the Big Island - to see Lava! The other tour companies we tried failed us. Kupahua Adventures and Ken and Steve were just what we were looking for - a personalized tour, not a hug group. The best part? We got to poke a stick into fresh, red and yellow LAVA! Yes, we got to poke it? How cool is that. The pictures were amazing and looking at them makes me want to go back again and again. We did the 5:30 pm tour so we got to see the sun set and walking back in the dark really wasn't bad as the moon was almost full and they supplied flashlights, gloves and the sticks! If you haven't done this, it is worth the trip and the tiny price Ken and Steve charge (we gave them a big tip as we think they could charge hundreds for the experience) for this lifetime adventure. Mahalo Ken and Steve!

I have ran the Kona Marathon 3x now, the last time being in 2011. I also ran the 1/2 marathon once…read morein 2008. What keeps me coming back to the race is that - besides being local for me, is the fact that the IronMan World Championships are held in Kona and the marathon route is used on the exact same strip of out and back as the Kona Marathon uses too. It inspires me to run this stretch of paradise knowing that - while I may not be running it as part of the IronMan course, I can crank out 26.2 miles of pure marathon bliss and still have something to be apart of and that makes the pain of victory so much more sweeter. The marathon route is basically an out and back course that begins just outside the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort and finishes on the grounds of the resort. Heading out on Alii Drive, it winds into Kona Commons Shopping Center, and out on Queen Ka'ahumanu Hwy towards the Kona Airport. Down a road for 1.5 miles near the weather station there at the turn around before heading back to the Outrigger Keauhou Beach resort for the finish. Being that race day is in late June, the weather does start of really nice and cool, but the sun comes out and it can be really daunting to finish 26.2 miles in the hot Kona sun. Race starts at 5:30am and you are given 9 hours to complete the course. I have fond memories of running this race year after year, the first being that the 2009 race was the first marathon I ran after joining the Marathon Maniacs club. It was a surreal moment that brought me to where I am today and beyond. The aid stations are filled with enthusiastic individuals and it's definitely a well put on event. The only gripe I do have about this event is that the finisher's medals do not change year after year. Even if you do run the 1/2 marathon, you get the same finisher's medal as the full marathon peeps. There's no distinguishing the half and the full marathon participant. While that may not matter to some people, since every individual knows what distance they are running, it just bothers me that it hasn't changed. For whatever reason you are running the marathon, the Kona marathon is one of the best small marathons in the country. The ocean front views are world class and just being in Kailua-Kona for the weekend will melt your cares away. Run more! B+ #Yelp Marathons

Although having been held in Waikoloa now for the past 2-3 yrs(?), still is a great half marathon…read morerun. Waikoloa gets a bit hot, and the full marathon just doubles back on the same course a couple times, which can get pretty humid by 8am. Since the half starts at 630am and you can finish by 8-830am, it doesn't quite get too hot at that point. But you are running on the highway for several miles for either race...the highway stretch means you are fully exposed to the sun with no shade. I always carry water bottles with me, but most runners don't (always puzzling to me why not....) I strongly recommend folks carry their personal water bottle for this race (I use Accelerade as my drink of choice along with Clif gel chews Cherry flavor for salt and caffeine). Still, having done this race multiple times now, it is great way to race on the Big Island with a good mix of locals and out of towners. The t-shirts are MUCH BETTER DESIGNED than a few years ago with the odd orange bands on the sleeves and neck. Great shirt design to the team!

Great selection of bikes and really genuine people…read more We rented two bikes at 5am and they happily were waiting for us in the wee hours of the morning. Lost our GoPro after the exhausting morning. Kaimu found it and safely returned it. They provided flashlights and locks! Kaimu also has snacks and Wet Naps available for post ride. Efficiency, Loyalty and Snacks. What more could a girl want?

If you plan to see the lava beyond the viewing point (which wasn't all that exciting), rent a bike,…read moreride down until you reach the final barricades, and hike toward the mountain. Two miles in and you'll be just a few feet from surface lava. It was surreal! There are many bike rental shops in this area, but Kaimu Rentals seems like the most legit. You can reserve online, and they provide everything you need (flashlight, lock, first aid kit). The ladies working the counter we're extremely friendly (shout out to the gal from Walla Walla!) and the guys who sized us for our bikes were helpful. Overall, awesome service and experience.