Donkey Trail

Honoli'i Beach Park is a favorite spot among locals for surfing, especially if you are a good surfer! Park along the street and walk down the stairs to the shower area. To the left leads to the black sand beach where surfers will leave from, but if you are just looking to hangout, you can also go to the right of the bathroom for a more spacious and grassy area. On the beach, you will find peopl...

Running or biking on Old Mamalahoa Hwy is a treasure! The path is marked as a 'Scenic Drive' but you can park your car along the way and run, or bike through. This area is north of Hilo's downtown so you'll follow Mamalahoa Hwy north (the only highway that goes around the north side of the island) until you see a blue sign pointing east for a scenic drive. This will bring you to the start of th...

Within walking distance of downtown Hilo, jog around Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens for beautiful views of Mauna Kea, the Pacific, and Eastern art! A loop around the park, including Coconut Island, is approximately 1 mile. On your jog, you will see lots of people walking and running in addition to small ponds with bridges crossing them. There is also a famous fish restaurant and popsicle stand ...

Rainbow Falls is a gorgeous and easily accessible pull-off from Highway 11. This is not really a hike - just a short walk from the parking lot to a gorgeous 80 foot waterfall (making this fun for all ages!). Hit up Cafe Pesto in Hilo for a meal after.  If you want to learn about the mythology surrounding this hike, look up the Hawaiian legend of the Goddess Hina, DemiGod Maui, and Kuna of the M...

A beautiful beach for swimming less than 10 minutes from downtown Hilo! Because Hilo is more rocky and jungly than the western side of the island, this beach is more of a swimming hole than a traditional beach. Carlsmith is also frequented by big turtles (like the ones in Finding Nemo!), but please don't touch them as it is against tradition in Hawaii to disturb wildlife (it may also be against...

Mauna Kea is one of the volcanoes that helped form the Big Island of Hawai’i. However, its last eruption was around 2600 BC. Mauna Kea sits at an elevation of 13,796ft above sea level making it the second highest mountain I’ve hiked as I write this post – just shy of Mt Whitney. Interestingly, more than half of the mountain lays below the ocean’s surface. This adds 18,900ft to Mauna Kea’s heigh...