This small but beautiful State Park is featuring a lava tube system known as “Kaumana Caves”. The tube was originally created by an 1881 lava flow from Mauna Loa and extends over 2 miles in total. There is a small park area with restrooms and a picnic table just before the entrance to the cave. When you walk down the steep stairs you have two options. To your left you will find a smaller cave opening and to the right you will be able to enter the main section of the lava tube. Both caves feature interesting lava rock formations and plenty of vegetation to admire the impact of volcanic activity and witness how destructive a lava flow can be while creating beautiful new landscapes at the same time. Being on the Hilo side, there is more rainfall and therefore please watch your step as some parts of the rock can be slippery. If it is raining hard you may want to choose to refrain from entering the cave due to flooding.
If you don’t have sturdy shoes and a powerful flashlight, please do not attempt to explore the cave further than the natural light reaches. You will soon be engulfed in total darkness which combined with the sharp edges of lava rock can be challenging. You may notice that there is a lot of damage from vandalism. Please treat this little treasure with respect and exercise your Aloha while visiting.
The cave is located at Kaumana Dr. in Hilo between mile markers 4 and 5. There is limited parking available on the opposite side of the road. Please be careful when crossing the road since there can be quite some traffic. Don’t forget to bring a powerful flashlight if you would like to explore more than just the cave entrances.
