Such a sweet little park to take a break from a long drive. Lots of picnic tables, plenty of shade,…read moreand a beautiful view of the waves rolling in. We saw a few locals fishing and even a couple of brave swimmers, but it's not really meant to be a swimming beach. This is more of a peaceful spot to relax for a few minutes.

You'll find this little gem on the Mamalahoa Highway between Volcano and the Kona Coast. I enjoy…read moreevery opportunity I get to say 'Mamalahoa', btw. Dont expect to find a sandy beach here - its a rocky shore, but breathtaking! Lots of grassy areas to throw down a blanket and enjoy some longan and rambutan, you know, that you picked up at the Hilo Farmers market. There is a pond here with 'something' underwater swimming around, maybe its the Loch Ness cousin, Billy. If you're adventuresome walk or drive down the dirt road to the east. There are remnants of a WWII pier - according to local historians it was intentionally destroyed after the bombing of Pearl Harbor to discourage a potential Japanese invasion force.

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!

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.

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!

great experience, warm day, high humidity. very scenic. worth the stop. dont miss the picnic…read moretables on the beach....short drive out the back on the left...

A hidden gem rich in Hawaiian history, wildlife, and outstanding staff!…read more ​If you want to experience authentic Hawaiian history away from the crowded resort beaches, Kaloko-Honokōhau is a must-visit in Kona. ​Walking along the coastal trails gives you an incredible look at ancient Hawaiian engineering. The Kaloko Fishpond (loko iʻa) and massive stone seawalls built without mortar are mind-blowing to see up close. Along the paths, you can also spot ancient petroglyphs carved into the lava rock and historic heiau (temple) sites. ​Highlights of our visit: ​Honu (Green Sea Turtles): We saw multiple sea turtles resting on the shoreline at ʻAiʻōpio Beach near the harbor. Remember to give them plenty of space! (20ft to be exact) ​Cultural History: The park does a fantastic job preserving the spirit of how native Hawaiians lived and farmed aquaculture centuries ago. ​Exceptional Staff (Special shoutout to Ranger K. Cartee!) Park Ranger K. Cartee made our visit extra special. She was so polite, knowledgeable about the land and wildlife, and had absolute wonderful energy while answering all of our questions. When I asked about the walk to the beach, she explained it was about a mile each way from the main lot, but took the extra time to give us a game-changing tip: driving down to the boat yard road leads to a short, easy 10-minute walk instead. That suggestion was a lifesaver for my 70-year-old mother and allowed our whole family to enjoy the trip comfortably! Mahalo K. Cartee for truly carrying an awesome Aloha Spirit! :)

This is a NPS managed site that protects the ancient fish traps and fish catch ponds. centuries old…read more, all by hand to catch fish that come in on the tides to feed. One Way traps. A marvel to imagine

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!

This beautiful beach is well hidden and parking is very limited. We arrived about 10:00 and that…read moreseems to be a good time if you are not one of the first to arrive earlier in the day. Cars who have been here for a few hours will start to leave and spots open up. There is no fee to enter and the showers are nicely sun warmed. But do note that these black sands are HOT and either wear sandals or remain in the shade of the trees. Your feet can burn quickly. There are random picnic tables in the shade for anyone to use but bring a sun umbrella and sand chairs if you have them for sitting on the beach. Bring snorkel gear and watch for the turtles and fish who enjoy the shoreline reef. But also be aware that the tide is strong and you can be swept along and scraped by the reef and rocks by surprise. The underwater view is lively and fish abundant so take your time and float with open eyes. There are camp sites for those who wish to do so. And watch for dolphins who rest near shore during the day. It is a lovely beach that is worth visiting.

My husband and I were married in Hawaii, and we've been back three times since. This has always…read morebeen our fav beach. My husband snorkeled with dolphins there. It's just a magical little place! Make sure you arrive early to secure a parking spot and a great spot on the beach.

Relaxing and shady area (compared to other places) to take a stroll and take in the views. There's…read morehistory here and there's some historical plaques to read if you're interested. The "Japanese garden" was built to honor the early Japanese sugar cane plantation immigrants who played a massive role in Hawaiʻi's economy and society. I've been to other Japanese gardens (not in Hawai'i) so I was actually a bit shocked at how plain or underwhelming this was. It felt like a simple park with a lake with a couple of architectural Japanese bridges. There's a koi pond too and a couple of lanterns. Overall still a nice place to stroll and to admire and take in nature. We didn't stay too long because it was overly hot thought. We didn't really know where to park but I think there's street parking you can find.

Let's keep it simple…read more The below website link has all the information you could possibly want or need about the history/what you're going to see/map/volunteer information and more for the gardens. www.liliuokalanigardens.org/ The best summary I can give is this. The gardens are free. They are tranquil and they are beautiful. There is little to no issue with parking except for on the weekends when it was definitely busier but overall, there seemed to always be spaces either on Banyan Drive or on Lihiwai Street along the water. The only real small negative would be that some of the trails and walkways do washout and/or flood over due to the excessive amount of rain Hilo has gotten this year (and that was pre-Lala). If you're in the area or staying in Hilo, this is a nice stop whether for ten minutes or an hour.

I love Na'alehu Park! We stopped here so our daughter could play on the giant jungle gym area while…read morewe ate our shrimp plate. It's a huge park with a baseball field and a new jungle gym which has slides and a rock climbing wall. My daughter is 8 years old going on 9 and she loved playing on it. There are tables nearby the play area so you can sit and watch your child. We found the park to be very clean, and the grass in great condition. This was the type of day childhood memories are made of and we're so happy we stopped by here during our day trip.

Very nice and cute park for the kids. Staff always cleans up every morning after local kids trash…read morethe place. Most kids are super friendly, however, there are some very rude and disrespectful kids. Very little adult supervision. Park closes at a very late hour and sometimes there are people there well after closing time making a lot of noise and playing basketball.