Hilo to Kona Road Trip: Volcanoes, Scenic Drives and Big Island Highlights
- The Anonymous Hungry Hippopotamus
- Dec 1, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 22
There is something bittersweet about the final day of a trip to Hawai'i. You begin noticing things you rushed past when you arrived. The ocean seems bluer. The mountains feel larger. Even the trade winds feel familiar. As my time on the Big Island drew to a close, I left Hilo and began a two-day drive back toward Kona, winding through volcanic landscapes, black and green sand beaches, ranchlands, and some of the most dramatic scenery in the Hawaiian Islands.
It was a fitting farewell to an island shaped by fire, water, and time.
Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
My first stop after leaving Hilo, was at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park is best known for its two famous peaks: Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and the much larger, Mauna Loa. If Mauna Loa was to be measured from its base below sea level, to its peak, it would surpass the height of Mount Everest.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park stretches from sea level to Mauna Loa's summit. The United Nations has named the park both a World Heritage Site and an international biosphere reserve. Some of the park's landscapes are filled with grasslands and rainforests.
Others are filled with cooled lava from past eruptions.
What struck me most was not the lava itself, but the life returning to it. Delicate lichens clung to hardened rock. Small shrubs emerged from cracks where there appeared to be no soil at all. Young trees pushed upward through landscapes that only decades earlier had been rivers of molten stone. The contrast was remarkable. Few places illustrate the resilience of nature so vividly. In Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, destruction and renewal exist side by side.
Plants aside, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is best known for its volcanoes, so let me turn to those. To reach the Kilauea volcano, a short hike is required.
Kilauea Caldera
Standing at the edge of Kīlauea, I expected to see a classic volcanic peak rising dramatically into the sky. Instead, I found myself staring into an immense crater that seemed to swallow the landscape around it. Mist drifted through the caldera as clouds rolled across the summit. The fog obscured portions of the crater floor, making it feel even larger and more mysterious. Looking into the caldera felt less like viewing a mountain and more like peering into the belly of the beast.
Over the course of various eruptions, including a massive one in 2018, the volcano's 4,090-foot summit collapsed to form a caldera, or a large, bowl-like depression. The hollow is created when a volcano erupts and the magma chamber underneath is emptied. The crater is usually visible, but on the day I visited, it was somewhat obscured by mist and fog.
Just a little farther ahead on my hike, I came upon another fascinating phenomenon created by volcanoes.
Nāhuku
This is Nāhuku, or the Thurston Lava Tube. It is a 500 year old cave located near the Kilauea Caldera. When the volcano erupted, the lava flow cooled and hardened on the outside, but the molten lava inside remained hot, flowing for miles.
Inside the Thurston Lava Tube
When the hot lava finally stopped flowing, the space it once occupied stayed empty, forming this lava tube. Tubes like Nāhuku can be so large that they qualify more as caves than tubes, as you can see from the inside view above.
Walking through Nāhuku felt like stepping inside the plumbing system of the Earth itself.
The tunnel was cool, damp, and surprisingly quiet. Water dripped from the ceiling while tree roots dangled from above like natural chandeliers. It was difficult to imagine that hundreds of years ago molten lava had rushed through this same passage on its journey toward the sea.
Standing inside the tube, surrounded by walls formed by flowing magma, provides a powerful reminder that every landscape on the Big Island was created by volcanic activity.
Chain of Craters Road
If there is one drive on the Big Island that feels like a journey across another planet, it is Chain of Craters Road.
The road descends from lush uplands through vast lava fields where little appears capable of surviving. Mile after mile, the landscape shifts between black basalt, rust-colored cinder, and occasional patches of stubborn vegetation reclaiming the terrain.
Eventually the road reaches the Pacific Ocean, where two of Hawai'i's most powerful forces meet. Here, fire creates new land while waves begin the slow work of breaking it apart.
Park your car and take a short walk to the spectacular endpoint of the road and you will find the Hōlei Sea Arch. Use caution because the waves and winds here are fierce, as you will soon see from the indelible impact they have had on the basalt rocks.
Hōlei Sea Arch
This natural, basalt arch is approximately 90 feet in height and extends from the cliffs into the Pacific. Standing before the arch, I could hear the constant percussion of waves striking the cliffs below. Wind whipped across the coastline with surprising force. Every crashing wave seemed to serve as a reminder that the arch itself is temporary. One day the ocean will claim it entirely, just as it carved it into existence.
Punalu'u
Punalu'u Beach
From Volcanoes National Park, I headed to Punalu'u Beach, one of the most famous black sand beaches in Hawaii. For more information on this beach, see my previous post.
Not far from the beach, you will find the Punalu'u Bakeshop. It's a perfect place to grab a snack before or after visiting the beach.
Taro Milkshake
The taro milkshake was exactly what I needed after a warm morning exploring the park. Cool, sweet, and unmistakably Hawaiian, it disappeared much faster than I intended.
While the milkshake hit the spot, longtime visitors know Punalu'u Bakeshop for something else: their famous sweetbread. Soft, slightly sweet, and perfect with coffee, it has become almost as much a Big Island institution as the nearby black sand beach.
Nāʻālehu
After visiting the black sand beach, I continued south towards Ka Lae. Prior to reaching, I found a local, farmer's market in Nāʻālehu. The market had stalls selling fresh produce, art made by locals, a band playing live music and ...
... various food trucks. One of my favorite moments of the entire road trip happened unexpectedly at a small farmers market in Nāʻālehu.
A local photographer and I struck up a conversation while live music drifted through the market. What began as casual small talk quickly turned into a discussion about the island, photography, hidden beaches, changing weather patterns, and life in Hawai'i.
Travel often focuses on places, but some of the most memorable moments come from people. By the time my lunch arrived, I felt as though I had been given a small glimpse into daily life on the island beyond the tourist experience.
Fish Tacos
I went with the fish tacos, mainly because minutes earlier I had watched a fisherman deliver his catch to the truck. Soon afterward those same fish appeared battered, fried, and tucked into warm tortillas.
The tacos were simple, but simplicity is often the hallmark of great food. Fresh fish, bright toppings, and the knowledge that the catch had likely been swimming in the Pacific that morning made every bite memorable.
Southern Point - Ka Lae
Ka Lae
After devouring the fish tacos over great conversation, followed by a little more driving, I arrived at Ka Lae. Ka Lae means "the point" in Hawaiian, referencing the southernmost point on the Big Island. This is also the southernmost point of the United States.
The wind at Ka Lae feels almost alive. It howls across the cliffs without interruption, carrying the scent of saltwater and crashing surf. Standing at the southernmost point in the United States, I could feel the force of the Pacific from every direction.
Looking south, there is nothing but open ocean between Hawai'i and Antarctica. The isolation is palpable.
Ka Lae is also a very popular cliff diving point. From this spot, you can jump off the edge of the rugged cliffside and plunge 40 feet into the Pacific Ocean. That's if you choose to. Not surprisingly, given my fear of heights, I did not. Instead, I enjoyed the view for a bit before heading back to the car to visit an adjacent beach.
Papakōlea Beach
Just next to Ka Lae, you will find Papakōlea Beach, one of only four green sand beaches in the world. To read more about my visit there and how to access the beach, see my previous post. It will provide you with all the details.
Nāʻālehu Farmland
Papakōlea Green Sand Beach was my final stop on my roadtrip. From there, I drove back to Kona, passing gorgeous farm land in Nāʻālehu.
As I made my final drive toward Kona, I pulled over beside a working farm to photograph a horse grazing near the fence line. The horse paused, lifted its head, and looked directly toward me as if posing for the photograph. It was a small moment, easily forgotten, but it felt like a fitting farewell from the island.
Throughout the trip, Hawai'i had offered dramatic volcanoes, towering waterfalls, black sand beaches, and rugged coastlines. Yet one of my final memories would be this quiet encounter in a pasture beneath a wide Hawaiian sky.
As the sun began to sink lower over the western side of the island, I eventually arrived back in Kona and completed the circle I had started days earlier. Looking back, what makes the Big Island so remarkable is not any single attraction. It is the sheer variety packed into one island. In the span of a few days, you can stand beside an active volcano, walk through a rainforest, eat fruit picked hours earlier, watch waves crash against black lava cliffs, and find yourself alone on a remote stretch of coastline.
Hawai'i is often described as paradise. The Big Island reminds you that paradise is not only beautiful. It is dynamic, powerful, and constantly changing.
If you've enjoyed following along on this journey, consider subscribing. Upcoming adventures will take us beyond Hawai'i to more remarkable destinations, extraordinary meals, and the stories that make travel unforgettable.
Comments