Planning a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii and want to do some hiking? You’ll be pleasantly surprised at all the places you can hike here on the Big Island of Hawaii. You can hike to beaches, valleys, waterfalls, and so much more.
Hike the Big Island of Hawaii
Shipman Beach
Hiking to Shipman Beach is approximately a four-mile hike (each way) to the beach. The hike its self is easy enough that a four-year-old can do it, however, you need to be prepared. It is uneven terrain, various grounds to walk on, muddy if it has recently rained, and in some parts, you are in direct sunlight with no shade.
Lava Flow
Hiking to the Lava Flow in Kalapana is a relatively easy hike to get to these days. You can walk down the emergency road, which is a gravel road. However, it is still about 4-mile each way. Make sure you have plenty of water and plan your trip accordingly based on the time of day you go. If you head out early or plan to return in the evening, make sure you have a flashlight. Although most of the hike is on the gravel road, you can venture off onto the old lava flow and find breakouts like in the above picture as well as make your way to the ocean and see the flow hitting the water.
Papakolea (Green Sand Beach)
To make it to Papakolea Beach AKA Green Sand Beach, you will either need to make a 3-mile hike along the coastline to reach the beach and then 3-miles back. There is a lot to see, but be sure to bring a lot of water with you, it can get very hot.
Pololu Valley
Pololu Valley from the bottom
If you can make the hike down to the bottom of Pololu Valley, you will want to ensure you are prepared. It is NOT an easy one, and you will want to have a lot of water with you. Be warned, there are no facilities in the area, and you will need lots of water.
As we journey through the Big Island and find more great places to hike, I’ll be updating this post.
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