Take a journey through Mauna Kea’s high-elevation dry forest. High above tropical rain clouds, this forest has adapted to an extremely dry and cold climate normally found on continents. You will see plants and animals found nowhere else in the world as you explore this special place. This forest is one of the last large ...
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A nice family trail, the Puʻu Huluhulu trail network features several short hikes atop a forested hill, surrounded by black lava from an 1843 flow. A mix of koa forest and dry mixed forest, this puʻu (hill) is a good place to view native forest birds seeking refuge from an otherwise stark lava landscape.
This historic trail was once a cattle driving trail linking Puʻu ʻŌʻō Ranch on Mauna Kea and Keauhou Ranch near Kīlauea. An easy, though lengthy 7.4-mile round-trip hike across smooth pāhoehoe and rough ʻaʻā lava flows, the trail meanders in and out of kīpuka (older, forested pockets spared from lava flows) filled with ancient trees ...
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Kaulana Manu (formerly Kīpuka 21) is a family friendly interpretive trail in a pristine kīpuka (older, forested pockets spared from lava flows). A favorite of birders, this is a good spot to catch a glimpse of many of Hawaiʻi Island’s native forest birds. If you’re lucky, you may see endangered Hawaiian birds like ʻakiapōlāʻau, ʻakepa, ...
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This historic trail is a remnant of a foot and later horse trail that once linked the east and west sides of Hawaiʻi Island. An easy 1.5-mile hike across smooth pāhoehoe scrubland, the trail meanders in and out of kipuka (older, forested pockets spared from lava flows) filled with ancient trees and flocks of native ...
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Wailoa River State Park contains several ancient Hawaiian fishponds (none currently in use) that provide habitat for a variety endemic, migratory, and introduced waterfowl. Recently a flock of domestic helmeted guineafowl has also been frequenting the area. The park is open daily during daylight hours.
While it is on private property, Loko Waka fishpond is a great spot to see native waterfowl, particularly ‘alae ke‘oke‘o. Loko Waka is also a major roosting site for cattle egrets in the Hilo area. At 60 acres in size, Loko Waka is the largest of the fish ponds in Keaukaha.