Category: Hawaii Hiking & Outdoors

Well, that escalated quickly! Instantly and explosively, Halema’uma’u Crater at Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii Island roared back into the international spotlight in the predawn hours of June 7. The Kilauea volcano eruption will attract visitors to the park in huge numbers. Residents and visitors are already thronging to the park, […]

Prompted by a conversation with a bar-tending friend who also happens to be a marathoner and avid trail runner, the HAT Blog recently embarked on a hike along the Pauoa Flats Trail. It’s near our home office, fairly easy, and under one mile (.75 mi). It’s only accessible from a handful of other Na Ala […]

Whenever I find myself bogged down from work or overwhelmed with a to-do list, I do what any logical person would: I golf. And my go-to golfing spot is the Royal Kunia Country Club.  Royal Kunia has never let me down (my game, however, usually does). It is also a favorite among visitors seeking an […]

We can now add Iao Valley State Monument on Maui to the short list of popular Hawaii natural attractions that require reservations for nonresidents. We’ll get to that. First, we’re here to talk about the famous Iao Needle and the ancient Hawaiian legend of how it came to be. ‘Iao Valley was designated as a […]

Makiki Valley Trail on Oahu is one of the island’s most popular hiking trails. It’s well-maintained and clearly marked, making it a great choice for smart visitors who don’t want to risk trespassing, getting lost, or encountering off-trail dangers.  Here’s everything you need to know about this great hiking trail! Makiki Valley Trail: Know Before […]

I’m scrolling through the photo gallery on my phone, unable to muster the energy to do much of anything. Pictures from a recent hike on the Kealia Trail are calming my nerves, reminding me of the beautiful day on Oahu’s North Shore. We started early, enjoying the peaceful morning. The hike into the lush, whispering […]

Kilauea Volcano is again erupting on Hawaii Island, with a lava lake formed in Halemaumau Crater. Officials say that the lava is likely to remain contained within the crater. As new images and video of the spectacular event at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, something else is spreading from the volcano: vog in Hawaii has returned. […]

Hawaii residents and visitors from abroad flock to Hawaii Island, the Big Island, to witness eruptions at the Mauna Loa Volcano. Thousands of images and videos of the spectacular event are zing around the internet when that happens showing the full glory of an active lava flow. We want to point out that fire goddess […]

We’ll go out on a limb here and suggest that the kind of tree most commonly associated with Hawaii is the coconut palm. It’s a ubiquitous motif in picture postcards and paintings, on mu’umu’u and aloha shirts, even in the lyrics of some of Hawaii’s most beloved songs and movements in ancient hula. Fair enough. […]

Hawaii is home to a wide variety of native bird species. Many of them are on the Endangered Species List and some are “critically endangered”. Efforts are ongoing to protect these species, with limited success, across the state. Enthusiasts of birding in Hawaii, or simply “birdwatching”, have benefitted from conservation policies. Hawaii’s endangered forest birds […]

If you are a golfer and looking to play a round or two during your Hawaii vacation (as opposed to planning a full-on golf holiday), you’ll likely be overwhelmed by lavish photography of resort courses and fine dining in the clubhouse (and gob-smacking green fees) when searching Hawaii’s courses online. No wonder, as Hawaii is […]

In the Waianae Mountain Range, Mount Ka’ala is the highest point on Oahu at an elevation of 4,025 feet. The actual peak itself is inaccessible, as it is home to a critical and tightly secured radar station (a giant white ball, can’t miss it) operated by the Hawaii National Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration. […]