A Captivating Hawaiian Monument Offers An Immersive Look At The Island's Natural History
From tropical forests to big ocean waves to oozing lava, Hawaii is a nature lover's paradise — and a geologist's dream. Hawaii's Big Island is home to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This park features Kīlauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Given that Hawaii Volcanoes is included on our must-visit national parks to add to your West Coast bucket list, it is a fairly popular tourist attraction. To break away from the crowds on your Hawaiian vacation and to see some intriguing ways that volcanoes affect the surrounding land, head to Lava Tree State Monument.
Lava Tree State Monument lets you see the power of Kīlauea even if you don't go to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In the late 1700s, lava flows from Kīlauea completely covered and burned a large swath of ohia lehua trees, a species of tree common in the Aloha State but found nowhere else in the world. Once the lava receded, it left unique lava formations in the shapes of tree trunks. In a strange way, Lava Tree State Monument is like a tropical forest version of Pompeii.
Look closely at the lava formations on the park's paved trail
Dozens of these tree-shaped lava molds are along the paved trail of Lava Tree State Monument. The trail begins conveniently at the monument's parking lot and is less than one mile long. Observe closely because you can even see tree bark patterns on the now hardened lava formations. Stick around at Lava Tree State Monument by bringing a picnic to enjoy among the lava tree formations and the park's actual living trees, including more native Hawaiian species.
Lava Tree State Monument is just around 3 miles from Pāhoa, making it an easy day trip from Kona (about a two-hour drive) or Hilo (a half-hour drive). Pāhoa itself is a lovely town with plenty of places to stay if you want to extend your trip in this part of Big Island. The Pāhoa Lava Zone Museum is here too, displaying artifacts from a massive volcanic eruption that occurred in 2018. For more immersive lava geology, book a tour of the Kazumura Cave, also formed by Kīlauea. Tube lava formations like Kazumura are underrated Hawaiian attractions you shouldn't skip, and this one is just 9 miles from Pāhoa.