Hawaiian Trail on Proposed Motorsport Site

Looking mauka and makai.

Hiking Kona - Kiholo North - over the lava route

At the north end of the kiawe forest around Kiholo Bay, on the makai (ocean) side of the highway, is a little service road going back south. There are heaps of graded material. Park in the first large level area. The trail begins over 2000+ year old Hualalai a'a lava:



Pretty shortly you reach the 1859 Mauna Loa pahoehoe flow (longest lava flow in Hawaii). The interface between the two types of lava is striking:



The hike over the 1859 flow can be extremely hot and starting out after 9:00 is not recommended. There's an old road that you can take (The cars park on the highway right behind the entrance to the road), in fact the service road would connect to it, if boulders didn't block vehicle traffic. Because it's a road it's easier walking, and because of how hot the lava gets the road really should be taken between 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. But the walk is aesthetically really inferior, and dusty and wind-free as well. Go early. Walk over the lava, but remember. Sunscreen. Water. Plan ahead and be safe. Because the walk is worth it (The remains of a fishpond almost all covered by the 1859 eruption):



Lots and lots of turtles:



The lagoon, looking from the north end. Cold water seeps out from the lava, making swimming in the lagoon an adventure :

Two more photos from KaLaeMano hike

KaLaeMano (Shark Point) as seen from end of trail across north fork of 1800 lava flow:

Detail of a'a lava: