Jaunted

Thurston Lava Tube
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park offers way more than just this one hike, but if you're looking for something easily accessible with a good wow factor, this is it. The Thurston Lava Tube was formed as the magma that was once inside it made its way elsewhere, leaving a tube carved right through the earth. You reach the cavern after a quick jaunt through the rainforest, which would be worth a trip by itself.

The hike is more of a leisurely walk and is only about a third of a mile long. Bring a flashlight, and there's about 1,000 feet more to explore after the main attraction ends. Turn your light off when you reach the end, and you'll have a new appreciation for pitch black. Just try not to think about the lava river that was once here--or the fact that you're next to an active volcano.

Lava Viewing Area at Kalapana
If you haven’t gotten your share of lava goodness from the park, there's still more to see outside its grounds. In fact, right now, your best chance of seeing any active flows is about 45 minutes away. The county has set up a viewing area at Kalapana and a short hike--about a mile round-trip--will get you as close as you can (safely) get.

Once at the end of the somewhat clearly marked path, you can try to spot lava slowly oozing into the Pacific. During our visit, we saw more smoke than lava, but the orange and red plumes were definitely worth our time. Be sure to get here before 8 pm, when they stop allowing cars to enter.

Pololu Valley
We briefly referenced this hike earlier this week during our shout-out to the North Kohala district of the Big Island. The hike into Pololu Valley is short, again no more than a mile round-trip, but it's a little more intense than the other two we've mentioned, considering the 500-foot descent into the valley. Views on your way down are better than the views at the top, so that may slow down your journey a little bit.

Once at the bottom, you'll enjoy your own (somewhat) private black sand beach. Just watch the surf: The day we were there it didn't look like the ideal place for a quick swim. Pololu is perfect because you get the experience of hiking into one of Hawaii's stunning valleys without taking up too much of your time. After all, you need to get back to the resort for that sunset Mai Tai, right?

Related Stories:
· Thurston Lava Tube [NPS]
· Lava Flows Outside the Park [NPS]
· Pololu Valley [HawaiiWeb]
· Big Island Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Lava Viewing Area: kjb]