Trails and campgrounds across America

Trees grow big and strong, but they are outmatched by the forces of lava. A tree's last stand against a lava flow can result in a tree mold - a hole in the surface of hardened lava where a tree once stood. Tree molds provide information about lava flows and preceeeding forests. See tree molds with your own eyes at a spot near the entrance of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. A tree... Read more.

Kīlauea Volcano underwent major transformations when it erupted in the summer of 2018. See changed landscapes in and around Kīlauea Caldera from Steaming Bluff, where steam escapes from hot spots just below your feet! Behind the bluff, a hydrothermal area called Sulphur Banks displays colorful mineral deposits, accompanied by eggy smells. Sulphur Banks Trail – Crater Rim Trail Loop... Read more.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park protects a changing landscape. This is true from the eruptive developments at Kīlauea Caldera all the way down to the ocean erosion at Hōlei Sea Arch. How much longer will this 90-foot tall bridge of basalt withstand the surf? Take a short walk - 100 yards each way - to Hōlei Sea Arch and see it while you can! Hōlei Sea Arch is 22 scenic miles from... Read more.

Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs Trail puts recent geological history and human history on full display. This level 1.4-mile hike crosses a pahoehoe lava flow to a boardwalk loop through an exciting area with thousands of petroglyphs carved by early Hawaiians. The petroglyphs honor the births of those that lived here hundreds of years ago. This short trek in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is sure... Read more.

To walk through Hawaiian history, head to Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park, located on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawai‘i, south of Kona. A convenient hiking trail weaves through the park's Royal Grounds and the Pu‘uhonua (place of refuge). This half-mile long loop passes sixteen numbered markers that correspond with entries in a park brochure to put an... Read more.

The Big Island of Hawai‘i is a dynamic land, where you can find a lava tube on the edge of the island's main city. An 1881 lava flow from Mauna Loa stopped just short of Hilo. Venture up and down a lava tube created by that flow. Enter through a collapsed skylight at Kaumana Caves Park and start exploring. While the entire tube may measure over twenty miles long, visitors can expect to... Read more.

A mile and a half from downtown Hilo, the biggest city on the Big Island of Hawaii, Rainbow Falls pours over a basalt ledge in Hawaii's longest river. The 80-foot tall waterfall takes a broad single-drop plunge. Visitors can see Rainbow Falls (and hopefully a morning rainbow) from Rainbow Falls Lookout in Wailuku River State Park, where 0.2 miles of lets-be-generous-and-call-it-hiking leads... Read more.

‘Akaka Falls is stunner – considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Hawaii – with a 442-foot single-drop into a tropical valley. This great waterfall is paired with a great viewpoint. A paved 0.55-mile long loop trail leads to a lookout in front of ‘Akaka Falls, while also providing a glimpse of 300-foot tall Kahuna Falls and several small cascades. ‘Akaka Falls is the... Read more.