Steam vents at Volcano National Park

My calendar of hikes for the past month has gone something like this: Annadel. Shiloh. Annadel. Hawai’i. Annadel. Annadel.

Not the most varied of treks, but that one in the middle was a nice detour from the usual trails. During a recent trip to the biggest of the Hawaiian Islands, known of course as the Big Island, I had the chance to do a mild amount of hiking, in between all the other fun pursuits to be explored on that chunk of land. First, it’s a big place – the biggest island in the country at 4,000-plus square miles and it boasts several different terrains, ranging from Mars-like lava beds to tropical rainforest environs to farmland.

There are many sites listing great hikes on the Island (like this one or this one) so that’s a better resource than whatever I’d list. I’ll note that a few standouts were the trails at Volcano National Park, the waterfall-laden trails at Akaka Falls State Park and, on the north coast, the Polulu Valley up-and-down to the valley floor. All worthwhile and easy day hikes that provide stunning views in every direction.

If you’ve been to Hawaii and hiked around a bit, feel free to leave your favorite hiking spots in the Comments section below.