Beat part of the park- free, no lines, no people & endless trails to walk. Close to south point &…read morebeaches as well as Na'alehu town

This was an amazing day trip to take, and we were extremely happy to stop here. We ended up getting…read morehere with only about 20 minutes before closing, so we didn't get to read everything we wanted, but I was very happy to see everything! The statues and the shelters are super interesting to see. I love the location; it's absolutely gorgeous and mesmerizing. We took so many pictures! Remember this is a sacred place, and above all, be respectful!

This park is beautiful and sacred. You can learn indigenous Hawaiian history & culture here and…read moreexperience serenity in this very special place. I especially enjoyed walking on the lava rocks to the protected areas where I saw fish everywhere! The water is clear and perfect. This park is large and I recommend that you have at least two hours here to soak it all in. There are hiking trails and picnic areas too. There are clean bathrooms, water fountain & a small gift shop as well. Note: For visitors concerned with accessibility, it may be a little tough to access the beach areas as the terrain is sandy, rocky & uneven. I did read that beach wheelchairs are available at the visitor center though. Mahalo.

This is a sacred place just down the road (to the right) from where you go at Kaleakua Bay to…read morekayak. Don't miss it. It is an old Hawaiian sacred place, kept sacred (please do not trespass onto the platform!) and clean by the locals. There are showers here on the park side for you to use after snorkeling Captain Cook's and kayaking back. There are also covered picnic tables and a nice basketball court (on grass!) to enjoy. Beautiful, local and cool to the max. Great place to relax after a busy day, and there was a barbecue available to boot.

Hikiau Heiau at Kealakekua Bay is a nice state park we went to for snorkeling. I saw a few big…read morecrabs but not a whole lot of other creatures. Once you get in the water at the rocks, the ground becomes a gray sand and it was relaxing swimming there. There are a few areas at Kealakekua Bay to snorkel around.

Definitely come check out this national park if you're interested in learning more about Hawaiian…read moreculture. The land is sacred and has been preserved. You can take a very chill stroll through here, enjoy the scenery, and learn a lot about the Hawaiian people. Remember to respect the land and if you want to learn even more feel free to ask the park rangers some questions at the entrance. Be sure to check out the gift shop as well.

Beautiful Natonal Park on the Hilo side of the island. Stick to the trails. Restrooms are located…read morein the front of the park. I forgot how much parking costs. There are spots to swim at nearby.

Yep, yep, this is a big one in every way. If you're on the big island, it goes without saying that…read moreyes, you should do whatever you can to make a trip up here. The first thing about coming here is knowing the rules. The below links from the University of Hawaii have all of them, and it is extensive. hilo.hawaii.edu/maunakea/stewardship/admin-rules hilo.hawaii.edu/maunakea/visitor-information/public-safety The below link shows the setup at the visitor's center. www.google.com/maps/place/Maunakea+Visitor+Information+Station/@19.7588885,-155.4562821,133m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x7953bf006cff862b:0x9590ce9b5623e0d1!8m2!3d19.7592729!4d-155.4561238!16s%2Fg%2F11msnjlp__?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDgyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D When you're coming up the access road, they want you to make the first right into the visitor center lot to stop for your 30-minute altitude acclimation period. I couldn't be bothered so we just went in one side and came out the other side at the checkpoint before going up to the summit. Yes, I was asked if we stopped for 30 minutes and I lied and said sure. The ranger knew I was full of crap, but he gave his safety talk and made sure I knew how to fully shift the Jeep into low gear and how to manually shift low gears as that is 100% needed on the way down. The road on the way up is a mix of decently paved road and unpaved rocks/gravel with some fairly large pothole/craters and the final hairpin S turn before the summit is a real doozy. If you have any kind of altitude sickness or vertigo...it's tight & sharp and it's a long ass way down. The main summit parking area has room for around...?? 25 cars. Once you get towards sunset, there were way more cars than parking spots. At the top you can get out and walk around. There is always a ranger presence there and there are a few port-o-pots up there if need be. During our ascent, we saw three or four different rainbows and had decent weather initially but most of the week it rained and eventually the clouds and rain found us up there and the visibility at the summit and on drive down was at the point where you could barely see the end of the hood. An obvious duh. When we left Hilo, it was almost 80. At the summit two hours later, it was 46 with a decent stiff breeze. As others have mentioned, the visitor center on the way down is the play as it's open daily until 9pm and you can stay on the grounds as long as you want. We didn't stay long or linger as it was pouring when we got down there. Very few people will ever get to the 9000-foot visitor center level let alone the 14000-foot summit. Plan ahead and do it if you can. Very unique and it's the type of thing you can't do anywhere.

Going to Mauna Kea was a must-do on our trip to the Big Island. We planned for our visit to line up…read moreperfectly with sunset. The visitor center is cool. Lots of good info. There's quite a bit of parking. It was super busy for a Sunday evening. We were in an all-wheel drive vehicle (Ford Edge) and the ranger gave us the green light to go up, even though all of the signs say 4-wheel drive only. They said they can no longer turn all wheel drive vehicles away. He recommended we stop every so often on the way down to let our brakes cool. The road is rough. Not paved. It's basically gravel and dirt the whole way. We only made it a mile of the 8 before turning around. The sun was so bright in our eyes we weren't able to see the road at some points and there is definitely some steep terrain going up. Our vehicle was already needing to have the gas all the way just to make it up. The thought of going down 8 miles of that sounded quite anxiety-inducing. So, we got back to the visitor center in time to hike the trail up the mountain across the road and catch the sunset. It's spectacular. The altitude change is no joke. I could feel how much harder it is to breathe with just a few steps into the hike. Be careful! The views are stunning though. So pretty. Definitely an experience worth checking out.

Who knew there was so much history and tradition in this one spot? I had driven past this heiau…read moremany times and finally decided to explore. What a fascinating, educational experience! You'll find so many exhibits, a video, a large terrain map, artifacts, and you can even try lifting a stone as heavy as those that are part of the heiau (temple). Incredibly, there are THREE heiau here: one is now underwater, one is very old and its purpose and secrets died with those who used it, and the most recent one is a wonder to behold. There is also a half-mile pathway (only the upper part is accessible with a mobility chair though; the lower part is quite steep), which takes you past two of the heiau and gives you a nice view of the shoreline. I recommend a hat and SPF for the trail because the sun is pretty intense here! The rangers are happy to answer any questions. You can also follow the heiau on social media. This month (August 2026), the annual Establishment Day festival was cancelled due to Hurricane Lala. But barring another such event, mark your calendar to be here in August for that!

Impressive historical site and good interpretive signed. The pathway is paved and some of it is…read moresuitable for wheelchairs.

As I age like fine wine I realize the value of learning about history. I may not be good on…read morejeopardy or remover the exact years but I find history especially in person exquisite. Wanting to fill our house with historic and local art we had to visit the statue and pay our respects. The first ruler of the kingdom of Hawaii uniting the island. Located downtown easily for all to see. A huge parking lot to drive up and park surrounded by a well manicured landscape. You can see how much he means as even today people continue to show respect by leaving plants and leis to decorate his statue. The bright and vibrant colors pop against the blue sky's and green surroundings. It was definitely worth the stop and a well kept area to wander around taking in Hilo slowing down and enjoying the scenery.

Beautiful statue of Kamehameha the Great cast in bronze. One of three statues in the state (Hilo,…read moreNorth Kohala, and Honolulu). This one is very easy to drive up to and maybe less crowded than going to see the one in Honolulu. I love how at this one there was hookupu in abundance.

This is a must! The sheer power of the ocean crashing into the rocks is not only mesmerizing but…read moremagical!!!! It should be on everyone list of must dos!

Beautiful views that are worth the trip down a long winding lane. Great place for relaxing and…read moretaking in the ocean views. It's too bad the lighthouse is no longer there

I first found this sweet little Catholic Church six years ago. My sister just got married in it a…read morefew weeks ago. It is very small and only has 12 pews. The pews hold 2 to 3 people. Saint Peters Catholic Church is located right on the beach. There is one beautiful etched glass window located in the front of the church which describes the story of Peter walking on the water toward Jesus. When Peter's faith starts to wane, and he starts to sink in the water. It's a beautiful church for a wedding! Personally I thought the church was very special and very memorable. What a little gem!!

This tiny church, also known as The Little Blue Church, sits right on the ocean. It has only 12…read morepews, making it perhaps the smallest church in the world. It was built in 1889. There is a beautiful stained glass window at the back of the church overlooking the ocean. I believe that services are still held in the church. It can also be rented for small wedding parties. There is no parking lo the church. Parking is available on the street. Drive slowly or you will certainly miss is, because it's tiny size is easy to overlook. To view pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10750818@N04/sets/72157601105069102/