A 0.7-mile loop trail winds through a 17.1-acre forest park. In the 1700s, a lava flow swept through the forest here and left behind hollow lava molds of the tree trunks, still standing like stone chimneys.
Why we love it
A strange, shady, short wander that breaks up a Puna drive nicely, and it's free.
Current conditions: As of October 2026, Lava Tree was among the state parks closed for hurricane recovery. DLNR’s Oct. 19 notice says Hawaiʻi Island state parks have reopened, naming only ʻAkaka Falls as an exception, but an undated line on the notices page still lists Lava Tree as closed, so confirm before you go.
What to expect
You pull off Kapoho Road (Highway 132), 2.7 miles southeast of Pāhoa, into a small, free park with restrooms and picnic tables near the trailhead. The loop is an easy walk on a rough, partly paved path that’s uneven in spots, winding through forest past tall lava molds of the ʻōhiʻa trunks that the flow once coated. It’s a short stop, so it fits easily between Pāhoa and the Puna coast. Unlike the open lava fields at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, this is a shaded, close-up look at what happens when a lava flow meets a living forest, with the trees long gone and their stone outlines left behind.
Know before you go
- Status
- The park closed during this fall’s hurricane recovery. DLNR’s latest dated notice lists only ʻAkaka Falls among Hawaiʻi Island exceptions, but check the DLNR park notices page before you drive out.
- Facilities
- There are free restrooms and picnic tables. DLNR has plans to repave the walkways, rebuild the picnic pavilion, and add an information kiosk.
- Trail surface
- The 0.7-mile loop is roughly paved but uneven in places, so wear closed shoes. A project is underway to make part of the trail wheelchair accessible.
- Hours
- It’s open daily during daylight hours only. With no lights on the path and heavy shade, plan to finish well before dusk.
- Respect
- The molds are fragile and culturally linked to Pele, so stay on the path and don’t climb on or break the lava formations.
Illustrative photo — not taken at Lava Tree State Monument.
Photo: Oleg Chursin via Unsplash
