Big Island · Sights & Parks
National & State Parks on the Big Island
National, state, and county parks — from wildlife refuges to coastal trails.
National & State ParksVolcano
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
This is the island's essential day trip, with craters, lava flows, and rainforest all along one drive. Give it a full day, and check the USGS updates before you go, because a fountaining episode can be spectacular.
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National & State ParksSouth Kona
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
It's the island's most moving cultural site, and the setting of palms, black lava, and turquoise water is as beautiful as it is sacred. Pair it with a snorkel at Two Step next door.
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National & State ParksSouth Kona
Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park
History and some of Hawaiʻi's best snorkeling share the same water. Visit the right way, on foot or with a permitted operator, and you'll see why it's worth protecting.
Read moreKona
Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park
It's free, often quiet, and close to town, and it's the easiest way to see how Hawaiians engineered the coastline to feed whole communities.
Read morePuna
Lava Tree State Monument
A strange, shady, short wander that breaks up a Puna drive nicely, and it's free.
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