9 Epic Things To See Between Kona and Hilo Hawaii
Preparing for an epic road trip across the Big Island? You’ve come to the right article.
The road trip from Kona to Hilo is around 1.5-2 hours, depending on the route you take. I stayed in Hilo on my last trip to the Big Island, and used all three routes to get between cities.
To my surprise, some of the most unique places are located between Kona and Hilo.
Whether it’s visiting waterfalls, botanical gardens, or black sand beaches, there’s plenty of ways to make the road trip across the island fun and memorable.
Here are 9 unmissable things to see, do, and eat between Kona and Hilo.
1. Akaka Falls State Park
- Route: Highway 19 along Hamakua coast (northern route)
Akaka Falls State Park is the perfect stop to stretch your legs and admire nature while traveling along the Hamakua coast.
This is a spectacular 442 foot waterfall in the middle of the rainforest, that’s around a 25 minute drive from Hilo. It costs $5 to enter the park, and it’s just a short hike through stairs down to the waterfall.
It was one of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve seen so I highly recommend making the stop.
2. Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
- Route: Highway 19 along Hamakua coast (northern route)
Also located along the Hamakua coast, the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is a great place to stop for a few hours.
This is a beautiful 17 acre botanical garden with a variety of tropical plants, waterfalls, and hiking trails leading down to the coast.
It costs $30 for nonresidents to enter, and I spent over an hour and a half walking around the gardens.
This was by far the most scenic botanical garden I’ve been to, so it’s well worth a stop if you have the time.
3. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Route: Highway 11 along Kaʻū coast (southern route)
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a must-see place for anyone visiting the Big Island.
Although most people recommend exploring the Volcanoes National park for 2 days, it’s perfect for a day trip.
If you’re traveling from Kona to the Volcanoes National Park along the Kaʻū coast , you’ll get to stop by Punalu’u Bakery and Punalu’u Black Sand Beach along the way.
Then, it’s just a 45 minute drive from the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to Hilo.
If you’re traveling from Hilo, the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center is a great place to pick up snacks on the way to the Volcanoes National Park.
It costs $30 per vehicle to enter the park, and the pass is valid for 7 days.
When you arrive at the park, I recommend parking by the Kīlauea Visitor Center to pick up a map and learn about the different hikes.
There are many interesting things to see around the park, from lava tubes to steam vents and volcanic craters.
We spent around 5 hours at the park, and hiked Sulphur Banks Trail, Crater Rim Trail, and walked through the Thurston Lava Tube.
To prepare for your trip, make sure to check out a list of their full day hikes.
4. Mauna Kea Summit
- Route: Saddle Road through the middle of the island (fastest route)
One of the most fascinating places to visit in the middle of the island is the Mauna Kea summit.
The Mauna Kea is the largest mountain from base to peak on earth, and it sits at an elevation of 13,803 feet! To get there from Kona or Hilo, you’ll take Saddle Road, and turn onto the Mauna Kea Access Road.
Anyone can drive to the visitor center, but you’ll need a 4×4 vehicle with more than a half tank of gas to drive to the top of the summit.
The top of the summit is where people go to view the large telescope observatories, and the visitor center is where people go to watch the sunset and stargaze.
Our car rental company didn’t allow us to drive to the summit, so we drove to the visitor center.
The visitor center is at an elevation of 9,200 feet, and has restrooms, a gift shop, and a park ranger to answer questions.
We took the ranger’s advice to hike the “sunset hill trail” to view the sunset.
This is a short 10 minute hike up a small hill, across the street from the visitor center, where you’ll get an amazing view of the sunset.
5. Waimea
- Route: Highway 19 along Hamakua coast (northern route)
Waimea is one of the best cities to stop for food while driving between cities. It’s around 20 minutes from north Kona, and 2 hours from Hilo.
For breakfast, head to Waimea Coffee Company for Kona coffee and breakfast burritos. For lunch, stop by The Fish and the Hog or Gj’s Huli Chicken to try some of the best barbecue on the island.
Waimea also has a midweek Farmers Market held every Wednesday from 9am-2pm, with a variety of local vendors and food trucks.
If you’re arriving in Waimea from Hilo, I recommend stopping by Spencer Beach Park and the Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site.
Spencer Beach Park is a great family-friendly beach with gentle waves, free parking, large picnic areas, and restrooms.
The Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site is just up the street from Spencer Beach and free to visit.
It has a visitor center with a film on the story of King Kamehameha I (the first Hawaiian monarch), and a short trail that leads to an ancient temple site.
6. Waipiʻo Valley Lookout
- Route: Highway 19 along Hamakua coast (northern route)
Located right by Waimea, the Waipiʻo Lookout is a stunning viewpoint of the Waipiʻo valley and coast.
This is a great place to stop for a picnic. It’s free to visit, and has a small free parking lot, restrooms, and picnic tables.
If you want to visit the valley, you’ll have to go on a tour since it’s only accessible by locals. The Waipio Valley Shuttle offers van tours down to the valley, starting at $67 per person.
7. The Umauma Experience
- Route: Highway 19 along Hamakua coast (northern route)
If you’re up for an adventure, stop by the Umauma experience to go ziplining.
This is a popular touring company located along the Hamakua coast, just 15 minutes from Akaka Falls.
They offer ziplining, horseback riding, ATV, and kayaking and swimming tours, around the Umauma river and waterfall.
8. Punalu’u Black Sand Beach
- Route: Highway 11 along Kaʻū coast (southern route)
On the way from Kona to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Punalu’u Beach is a must visit place.
This is a beautiful black sand beach surrounded by green coconut palm trees, just a 20 minute drive from the park. The black sand is made of basalt from lava that exploded as it reached the cold ocean water.
There’s restrooms, showers, picnic areas, and a small gift shop where you can pick up souvenirs.
I spotted a few sea turtles on the shore when visiting, and the sand felt especially warm while walking across.
9. Punalu’u Bakery
- Route: Highway 11 along Kaʻū coast (southern route)
Punalu’u Bakery is another great place to stop on the way from Kona to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
This is the southernmost bakery in the United States, and they’re famous for their malasadas (a fluffy Hawaiian yeast donut).
They serve a variety of flavored malasadas, pastries, Hawaiian sweet bread, breakfast sandwiches, and more. If you’re a foodie, I highly recommend trying a malasada while on the island!
Summary
No matter which route you take between Kona and Hilo, there are many unique places to stop.
If you’re taking highway 19 along the scenic Hamakua coast, you can stop by Waimea, the Waipio Lookout, Akaka Falls, and the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.
If you’re traveling between Kona and the Volcanoes National Park, make sure to stop by Punalu’u Bakery and Punalu’u Black Sand Beach.
And if you’re taking Saddle Road, head to the Mauna Kea visitor center to get the best sunset view on the island.
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