The caves are cool. Literally and figuratively. And it's free. Can't beat that in expensive Hawaii.

We arrived around dusk, but we brought flashlights. Wear shoes with traction and not flip flops! It's slippery especially after it rains. There are two caves, a small one and then an EXTRA LARGE cave. We ventured far enough to keep the kids from having an anxiety attack! It's so beautiful and peaceful in there. We did turn off all our flashlights to experience the stillness and darkness of this lava tube. My seven year old really enjoyed it. It's a must see in Hilo. read more

Kaumana Caves - Parks Near Me

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Excellent adventure especially for families and if you are fit. Wear hiking boots or tennis shoes with good soles because the ground is very uneven and slippery. It's pitch black inside so a strong flashlight or handsfree light on your head is a must. Both sides of the caves are equally challenging. Enjoy! read more

We came to Kaumana Caves during a recent trip to the big island. As people have said, it isn't much but it is a cool experience. We only went through one of the two that are there but it was very interesting to learn about how the caves were created. I would make sure that you have a good flashlight and good closed toed shoes. I wore hiking shoes and was happy to have them. There are some slick areas that you want to have good tread. read more

This is a must visit if in Hilo. Bring a flash light and wear shoes, although someone in our party did it in flip flops. Such a cool sight to see. We didn't have flashlights and all just used the flashlight on our phones, it worked but not recommended. Watch your head and look around, definitely can be dangerous. The directions tell you where it is by parking is across the street so be on the look out. read more

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If you enjoy caves, this is one big kahuna of a cave! There are runs that are big enough to drive an 18 wheeler down... if someone was ambitious enough to disassemble, pack it in and reassemble it. The floor of the cave is a hardened lava flow. It's a little rough, but not muddy or dirty like most caves. My photos in the cave were pretty bad - so if you decide to take pictures, google cave photography to get your lighting right. Carry multiple flashlights, some of those cheap gloves for climbing around rocks and some sort of hat. The temperature in there is cool, but not cold. This is a good place to go if it's raining. Signs warn the visitors that seismic activity could cause the cave to collapse... but it could also cause your apartment to collapse too. read more

It's a nice cave to go to. It's free. It's wet. It has no light. Recommend bring lots of strong lights if you plan to go through the whole thing. All in all it's a fun 10 minute stop read more

While visiting big island this was a must find of the coveted secret volcano tubes. Yelps original map had a big question mark, meaning must find on regular map. Don't worry, it was not difficult and now with the update you can find it too. There's parking across the street and two spots next to the caves. It's well marked and has a steep staircase leading down. On the right is the big lava tube opening to the cave with hanging foliage. To the left is the smaller opening that looks less inviting. I can't imagine actually exploring inside deep underground in the moist cavern. Bring good sturdy shoes and a flashlight. This was a little claustrophobic for myself and a toddler. However, I was pleased just to find it. read more

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Went through Thurston Lava Tube, and was hugely disappointed there were lights!!! What's up with that? It was like being in line at Disneyland for the Indiana Jones adventure. I half expected some piped-in music and a gift shop. Then we found Kaumana Caves. Woohoo! My only regret was not picking up headlamps at Walmart. Wearing a headlamp while exploring a lava tube ---where else are you going to get to do something like that? Plus, I bonked my head going through the cave on the right and I still had a headache the next day. (Don't do what I did.) Also, we exited a the tube on the left, instead of just turning around and going back through the lava tube. Ended up bush whacking through the jungle back to the street. It was twice as long as going back through the tube, and twice as sweaty. A huge plus about hiking through the caves is that there aren't any bugs or animals...or skeletons of lost hikers. Not even a bat or a goblin. Kaumana Caves offers an adventure without the yuk factor. read more

These caves are an amazing adventure, but you must be prepared. Every person on the hike through these caves should have at a bare minimum a flashlight, shoes with good grips, basic gloves, and water. A small backpack (to carry your water AND prevent you from scraping your back) is also very helpful. You'll want your hands free, so a headlamp is preferred to handheld flashlight (you can find them for $5-$15 at Walmart in Hilo). You can also get cheap garden gloves (less than $5 a pair) at the Walmart. You should also bring a backup flashlight for at least every other person or so -- there is zero light in the tunnels beyond the entrance, and light is absolutely required to make your way in and out. The caves are fine for kids with adults, but everyone will need to be sure-footed. You choose which lava tube you want to hike at the bottom of concrete steps leading down to them. The left tube entrance is a bit obscured by plants, but it is readily accessible. The right tube entrance is pretty uneven at the beginning, and quickly leads you to a small opening you'll need to bend down very low to get through. Once you make it around that first corner, it is relatively smooth for most of the hike. It took us a little over an hour to get to the far end of the right tunnel which exits through a steel grate onto a grassy burn below a road. It only took about 40min on the way back because we didn't have to investigate the cave as closely to figure out which way to go. It was a dry day outside, but roots dangling from the ceiling were still damp. You could see your breath throughout the hike, and we sweated a lot (it wasn't really a cardiovascular challenge, but it wasn't as cool as I'd expected either). Some passages in the right tube are pretty short, probably only a few feet high. You won't need to lay down and crawl, though taller people might find a bear crawl or crab walk or similar the easiest way to get through. Be very careful of your head. If I did it again, I'd bring a cheap hardhat (the cave ceiling is very spiky, and often very low) for peace of mind (I ended up with one good bump, but nothing severe). Inexpensive knee pads would also make it easier to get through tight spaces and save you from knocking your knees on a low extending rock, but they're not essential by any stretch. The caves are free to enter (minus the cheap gear you'll need) and are one of our best memories from our trip. You really feel like an explorer down there; it just cave, roots, and some graffiti. If you turn your lights off, you'll experience what "pitch black" really means -- give it a try :). read more

Came here today on an adventure that did not disappoint. If you are afraid of the dark or claustrophobic, this may not be the activity for you, but if you are okay with those things and want some adventure, i would definitely recommend taking a visit. Positives (+) (+) it's free! Great way to save some money while you are doing things on the big island (+) very natural. In the caves, there is nothing there that would suggest human intervention, with the exception of a few scattered orange arrows pointing towards the exit (+) sparks your sense of adventure and awe. Negatives (-) (-) I wish there was maybe a map of the caves at the entrance. Perhaps we didn't do enough research online beforehand but we weren't sure if the caves eventually led out or if the ended as a dead end and then you would just have to turn around and venture back. So we didn't make it all the way. Tips: 1. Wear solid shoes. No flip flops. Lots of sharp lava rocks and loose rocks. 2. You'll need light. Definitely. A headlamp is best, although you can manage with a strong flashlight too. I would even suggest a back up in case you run out of batteries. It's pitch black in there. If you lose your light you are kind of screwed. read more

This is a real cave, and as such, you better bring water and flashlights (note the "s" on the end of that), and you better wear rugged hiking shoes. We did this cave in 1999; since that time, a lot of roots have dropped down from the ceiling. Not sure why. Here was our big surprise: In 1999, we came to a point where we could not progress without sliding through water on our backs or stomachs; that's where we turned around. In 2017, we encountered no such barrier, and made it all the way to an exit of sorts, which had been blocked with bars, but someone had cut one out. It was a lot like watching a movie you've seen before, but finding that it has a different ending! read more

Free parking, free admission (self-guided), and restrooms available next to the entrance. Do not come here without a flashlight and sturdy, closed-toe shoes and be mindful of your head at all times. As for the lava tube itself, it's very cool. There's a little bit of graffiti/etchings, but it's mostly near the entrance and it doesn't detract from the experience too much. I am sure there are better tubes to explore on Hawai'i for the spelunkers, geologists, and vulcanologists out there, especially some of the private tours, but this is free, well-maintained, and very convenient to Hilo. For most people, that makes Kaumana a must-do. read more

Prob my favorite part of our trip. Found this spot in our guidebook and told the boy to take a detour on our way to Hilo. WOW. Just WOW. Climb down the stairs into this amazingly beautiful and kinda scary cave. We only walked around in the mouth of the cave, but we did see people with headlamps coming out from the more scary parts! read more

Small but still fun. There is also some small holes that will let you go further up the lava tube, if your not afraid of the dark. Oh and because further in falls on private property. Hey, no risk no reward. read more

Kaumana Caves - Parks Near Me

Super great hike. I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie! I would definitely recommend visiting the caves if you have the chance. I would recommend going with someone else, watching your head and ensuring you have good shoes and flashlight. I took the left cave and didn't have much trouble at all with my headlight and small flashlight. Once you get to the small opening go back. It isn't a loop! I learned the hard way as I climbed out of the opening of the cave and stood in the forest alone and fucking confused. read more

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What an amazing find. DEFINITELY wear good grippy walking shoes and bring a VERY strong flashlight (or better, a headlamp!). We used our iPhones which worked, but we really wished we had the option to see more. When you first go down the stairs you can enter the caves to the left or the right. Both caves continue on and on. Neither are a bad choice. At some point be sure to turn off all lights and just listen to the water drip. It's dark. You might as well have your eyes closed its so dark. But scary fun! read more

Kaumana Caves - Walking into the caves - Parks Near Me

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Gorgeous caves/lava tubes. So much fun for kids and adults. Make sure to bring a good flashlight, plenty of battery life, and good shoes. Not a good time for flip flops! read more

If you're up for an adventure this is a great hike. Take your flashlight, good walking shoes, and sense of adventure on this one. We read lots of reviews so we thought we knew what to expect. When you get down the stairs, you can go either left or right. Make sure you go right. Be careful with every step since there's sharp rock and holes in the lava. Also watch ahead of you since the ceiling can get very low at times. You'll also have to crawl through some holes so be prepared. After about 20 minutes or so, we heard some chatter ahead of us. That was strange since we were the only ones parked in the parking lot. As we talked a bit we realized they just started their trek. How could that be??? We had walked in a circle and didn't even know it. My other half was done with this trek and didn't want to go the whole 2 mile stretch so I'm sorry to say we don't know what the end looks like. BUT rest assured if you want to do a short and sweet, stay on the path, go right at the fork, don't do any u-turns and crawl through the small hole. you'll go in a circle. Have fun and be careful. read more

These caves were quite extensive and could spend a lot of time exploring. We had headlights as well as flashlights. We had raincoats because water is dripping in some areas but ended up taking it off. Highly suggest closed-toe shoes w/ good traction. You'll climb over lava rocks and slick rocks. It's completely dark and you'll need to crawl through small places. The cave to the right has smaller crawl spaces than the cave on the left. The one on the left has a slightly small space at the beginning but once you get past it, it opens to huge lava tubes to explore. read more

Awesome lava tube. The floor is red rock and the stalactites formations are still intact here (unlike thurston) which is really cool to see. Turn off your flashlights and let your eyes dilate then turn your flashlights back on and you can see the caves much better. You can see about six different lava flows that came through here. This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip! read more

Prize for the best "you're a darned fool to enter here" sign! ;) Wish I had brought a stronger flashlight, but it was neato to climb down and explore just a little of these caves. Glad there was no earthquake at the time. ;) read more

Use your flashlights people! open your eyes and muster up some courage!!! get down on your hands and knees and squeeze through.. The cave to the RIGHT does NOT end after a few 100 feet. We hiked about an hour in the cave to the right! geeze! I gave this adventure 4 stars b/c it was so real and so exciting, that I was actually a little scared. If you like adventure, this is for you. (i'm a city girl) It is pitch black. No light at all. bring more than one flashlight. if your only light were to die on you.. you would be stuck in there. The terrain is extremely rocky. You'd twist your ankle right out of a flip flop. and the cave gets wide and sometimes low. and you have to crouch through and watch for hitting your head. In the cave to the right, we hiked for 30 min in. We had come to a fork and chose the left path. It went on slightly past some "narnia" graffiti and then the rocks caved in too much for us to go farther.. so we turned around. very cool experience. i highly recommend the cave to the right. I fellow hiker mentioned that the cave system actually goes on for 30 miles and is a complete loop. read more

This cave is hands down better than the Thurston Cave. Its still has its natural splendor w/o the tons of foot traffic and man-installed lights.. read more

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I had a great time at the caves. It was a great experience. My girl loved it. If you go in the cave make sure you have a flashlight. Lmao. Be careful when walking down the stairs when going down to the caves. The stairs are steep. read more

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Be careful as you can bang your head or slip on wet rocks otherwise an interesting geological experience!

So fun!!! My partner and I arrived here on a Friday afternoon and there was only one other group there that were already leaving. We came equipped with 2 flashlights (not the dinky kind!) and headed off to the left side. Like others have said, the ground is extremely uneven and also wet. You will be doing some climbing over big sharp rocks to get to the end. The fact that it is pitch dark and has minimal signage really makes the experience so raw and exhilarating! Come prepared for the best experience possible :) read more

This was a unique experience and I am glad that we went. When you park be careful crossing the street because people don't seem to adhere to speed limits. Go down a steep set of stairs and take your pick of two entrances. The left is bigger and a little longer, and is more cavernous too. The right side is shorter and requires a fair amount of squatting and crawling and the ground is less even. Because we had our little one strapped to us, we tried both but couldn't finish the right side because of the low ceiling. I wouldn't consider any of it strenuous. They also do have a restroom outside the opening. It's right outside of Hilo and took us maybe 1.5 hours to do both sides with an infant, while also stopping frequently to take some photos. We bought headlamps from Amazon as we had been expecting to do the Thurston lava tube at VNP but it was closed and these worked really well here. Saw others with their iPhones and it looked like they struggled a bit because they couldn't see much in front of themselves. read more

These were great!!!! I was just there Sunday April 8, 2012 We just stopped in really fast to look to waste some time before star gazing and were going to come back, but of course, my boyfriend likes to push the envelope and really explore. We went all the way into the left tunnel. When you first walk into the left side you can see most everything. There is an opening in the back you can duck and go into. Then it becomes PITCH BLACK but opens up into this very large and awesome tunnel. 20 feet tall and 10-15 wide for the people like me who dont like small spaces. This isnt small and I felt toally fine. Reviewers said to have at least a flash light for each person which is a good idea. We only had 1 iphone with the flashlight app working and it was fine as long as we stayed together so we could see whats in front of us. It was totally cool in there and wish we couldve gone further in. (we went about 100 yards in) but we were in a time crunch to get to the visitors center on Mauna Kea. This is probably one of the coolest things to do on the island so do not pass this up. Watch your head in some place - my boyfriend hit his head pretty hard on our way out. Totally cool and a must see. Ok for children to go. P.S. I read some reviews abotu one of the tunnels being bad but ran into one couple who said it was totally cool and fun. They were the only people we ran into there. We were the ONLY people in the tunnel. HAVE FUN!!!!! read more

Really cool cave system that is about 5-10 minutes from anywhere in Hilo. Went at night and we were the only people there. Not as small as I thought it would be, once you get inside it really opens up. Bring more than one light in case your battery dies and then you die in the cave read more

Kaumana Caves - 12/1/13 - Parks Near Me

Had fun exploring the cave with my 9 and 12 yr old kids. I recommend good on slip shoes highly and a head lamp the cave doesn't go in to far but it's a nice distraction read more

Kaumana Caves - The entrance to the cave - Parks Near Me

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This was an experience to check off the list, not my favorite activity, but interesting nonetheless. And it's FREE! What more could one ask for. When you get there and walk down a set of steep steps you'll see two openings, one to the right and one to the left. If you only have time for one, I would recommend going to the left one. You definitely need to wear closed toed shoes and possibly bring a light jacket because it's a bit chilly in the lava tube and water drips from the top of the cave. Also, bring a flashlight or headlamp. My group was underprepared and only had our cellphone lights which served the purpose but we would have been able to see more with flashlights. The cave to the right is pretty short and open the entire way. The cave to the left looks like it ends quickly but if you look closely there's a narrow four to five foot high opening and you can duck through and access the rest of the lava tube which opens up after the narrowing and is pretty long. Some of the lava rocks in the cave can be very slippery because of the dripping water from the tree roots. read more

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An amazing attraction. I came here with my 5&6 year old daughters. A lot of fun, very easy and in my opinion pretty Safe if your an active family use to doing strenuous activities. Must wear decent shoes such as tennis shoes. No flip flops, bring a couple flashlight with extra batteries as it is pitch black with zero light. I plan to come back and make a day of it, bring snacks and what not. read more

Beautiful but you should have shoes and a flashlight. Pretty steep stairs leading down but my 7 and 9 year old made it. Rocky surface once you get in the cave. Goes pretty far in but it is utterly amazing. read more

If you like spelunking, have a headmounted flashlight, water, hiking shoes and some heart for exploring a lava tube then this is for you. There are two hikes left or right tunnel. It is dark your phone flashlight is not going to cut it. No charge, thus adventure trip is free read more

Looks amazing but I was scared because my cell phone flashlight wasn't bright enough. We are coming back and bringing a bright flashlight. Wear tennis shoes as my sandals were slippery. read more

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A great site! There is a lot more traffic now that Volcano National Park is closer due to all the volcanic activity. Please wear closed toe shoes and bring a flash light. Your phone will not be sufficient to light your way. This is not a paved walk and you will need to be able to navigate large rocks and uneven surfaces. But it's well worth a look. read more

Thanks to yelp that I found this hidden cave up a residential area. There are warning signs stating they are not responsible if anything happens while you are in there. I"m not going to lie, it was scary and exciting at the same time. I did get claustrophobic in here about 1-2 miles in. The air gets colder and there are no lights- we used our iphone lights. There are lots of rocks- so bring the hiking or water shoes to this. We did run into some locals teens in here and they said it goes for about 5-10 miles and ends up on private acre property somewhere. Not sure if that's true. It's huge inside and the most fascinating cave experience I ever had mainly because it is not set up for tourists with lights, smooth walk ways and ropes and such- you can really explore in here. There is also water dripping from the ceilings. The air gets heavy as you go or at least it did for me. I would come back to this if visiting Hawaii again. :)) read more

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Awesome!!! I could end the review right there and it would be enough, but I'll continue with some tips. The Good: - This is not your guided tour walk through a well-lit cave full of dripping stalactites and stalagmites. No this is for the adventurous who like to explore on their own. - Restrooms are available along with a small picnic area. - Stairs help you get into the caves. - Parking is across the road and is plenty for the number of people who show up at one time. - Scenic drive on your way to the caves. - Nice and cool inside. - Water fountain. The Not So Good: - I stretching here, but there are a lot of ants around the water fountain. Here are some Tips: - There are two tunnels when you go down the stairs. The one to the left is a little more kid-friendly. It is walkable the whole way through. There is an underground stream on the pathway, but you should be able to find places to step without getting your feet too wet. Near the end of this tunnel, there are two places you can actually come out of the tunnel and get some fresh air. My kids loved finding the source of the underground stream. I took all my kids into the left tunnel, from the 2-year old to the 11 year old. All of them made it just fine. - RIGHT TUNNEL: I only took my 7, 9, and 11 year old kids in this one. This one is a longer tunnel and in some places larger, some places smaller than the left tunnel. We had to crawl in some parts in order to continue. There was an underground stream in this one as well; you could hear it long before you saw it. Sometimes all we could do was hear it under our feet! You have to climb a little in this tunnel as well. So think about the ability of the people in your party before you go to the right. I think it is only moderately difficult for kids, and for an experience hiker/climber, you should have no problem. Bottom Line: Awesome!!! I'll only add, BRING YOUR OWN GOOD FLASHLIGHT. iPhones are great, but they are horrible when you are trying to explore. You want something more powerful, and you want your hands free. I wore a headlamp, packed it in the suitcase when I planned for this trip. Definitely worth it! AllTrails.com: http://alltrails.com/trail/us/hawaii/kaumana-caves-county-park-trail read more

The caves were amazing. You hands down absolutely need a GOOD flashlight, think LED. The supermarket bulb ones will not really help you. We went with a group of four through the tunnel on the left. It was pitch black and soo interesting and unique from anything I have ever seen. If you walk that tunnel a bit it pops to the surface and you can get outside for a bit. There were 2 trails but I'm not sure if they go anywhere we wanted to go back in the lava tube. I'm really glad there were bathrooms and a picnic table at the beginning. Definitely make this a to do on your trip! read more