Posts: 2,490
Threads: 222
Joined: Dec 2005
http://hilobayfronttrails.org/
Something I am for... Would be nice if puna could make some, but where would they make them...hmmm... Tho, lava tree state park is a pretty nice tail, just wish there were more of them, and longer. I guess the lava trail 6-7 miles round trip is pretty good, but I wouldn't exactly call that a trail.
Posts: 4,250
Threads: 96
Joined: Mar 2014
There is a LOT of state forest all over Puna. Basic trails could be easily made with a small dozer and small excavator. No need to pave them. Just clear brush out, weave around the bigger trees and smooth out the lave a bit.
Posts: 1,179
Threads: 7
Joined: Jul 2012
the Hilo one sounds like more of a long coastal sidewalk... not really hiking, more like for strolling in public....
there are hundreds of miles of hiking trails in Puna.... but you can get really lost in some...
for a stroll on smooth ground... all you really have in Puna is Lava Tree, but its not that pristine.. full of invasives really... very unHawaii-like... only cool plant there is a few planted out ma'o hau hele... there is short trails in HPP along coast... best coastal hikes for nature IMO are in the Honolulu Landing to WaaWaa area, and the heiau and old Kings Hwy trail areas near Kalani retreat and along coast in the Malama-Ki Reserve/McKenzie, and areas between Kehena and Kaimu on older pahoehoe flows but its all intercepted by areas of mostly rough ground very uneven because of the a'a lava in many areas along coast, but wide open so no way to get lost... and Puna is well know for having the most % of native plants along the coast as anywhere in state... because they never brought ungulates into lower Puna because of all the a'a... lucky us....
fwiw some of the best exotic hiking in state is in upper Puna and west of Hilo, but some of it is very advanced, very good chance to get lost and you will get muddy on most.. its jungle trails.. but super pristine in some areas ie 99.9% endemic and very very unique... Pu'u Maka'ala Natural Area Reserve, Ola'a Forest Reserve, Ola'a Forest reserve in HVNP on Wright Rd in Volcano Village, Kahuaalea Natural Area Reserve, Upper Waiakea Forest Reserve, and HVNP including 'birdpark' and Mauna Loa summit trails... one of my easy favs and a nice straight one is "Tree Planting Rd' coming in from the Saddle Rd side... same with the 'powerline trail' of the old Pu'u O'o trail system also on the Saddle Rd side of Mauna Loa a bit higher up... both less muddy and wide open and straight...
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
Posts: 1,557
Threads: 50
Joined: Oct 2012
Some mountain bike trails would be nice... and a possible tourist draw in. Considering you cant ride along the highways without the expectation of getting run over... by a local drunk ... or a cop.
Posts: 1,179
Threads: 7
Joined: Jul 2012
going up East side.... Kalopa State Park in Hamakua area has a couple awesome loop trails, one is far more native thats easy and not long at all, and one longer less native one that climbs a hill and passes a deep gorge in attractive tall none native timber forest, and the gazebo grassy picnic area in middle is great too... a great smaller State Park beautiful and a great place to camp with a built in shelter...
Akaka Falls is OK, if you like it 0.2% native at best... there is a few Ohia and a couple Neneleau, rest invasive.
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
Posts: 1,261
Threads: 55
Joined: Nov 2005
If you want some trails, how about one from Pahoa schools to Malama Market place in town, not 12 feet wide, just 6 feet on each side of the road? Too simple?
Posts: 1,179
Threads: 7
Joined: Jul 2012
in Pahoa area I forgot about walking the 'bulldozer cut fireline' that runs off of the road to the dump. it starts at that last left bend/turn before dump entrance, at the corner, and goes straight out to the deadend of last yrs lava flow across the hwy from firestation area... its a straight walk right now, and could be maybe made into a trail of some type and tie it in with the human interest attraction of the last lava flow thats going to come anywhere near Pahoa for a long time... the flow out there is all natural, unlike the altered one near the dump or in that dudes backyard in midPahoa... its not native at all, I saw one Sandalwood Tree in an hour, and some of the even rarer Kilauea Naupaka right on the trail, but those were it for anything remotely cool to a plant guy... its wide open quiet and spooky in a way, if you walk out on those last far tongues of pahoehoe lava, the lava is so fresh every step its crunchy glass and in a spot no one has ever walked before. it didnt hurt my dogs feet at all either, they were running around loving it... the surrounding land, some of it was burnt in the fires the hotlava made, but you cant really tell anymore... if anything it removed some of the deadbrush and you can now see the hard ground through the lower bushes and grasses in most areas, some of it raw lava from longer ago... not alot of dirt out there, much is gravely cover with lower plants and small Ohia. if they made a trail out there the cool part is you cant really see any man made structures for most of the walk, you can hear the hwy thats it... cant see any homes or the hwy and its a fairly long straight walk now..
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
Posts: 2,490
Threads: 222
Joined: Dec 2005
Ummm, maybe if you read what I linked....... It's concrete flat easy strolls to go look at the ocean and yeah, if a trai existed that had some walks around the oceans with some ohia's and native plants, even better, but No... Phaoa school to malama market is not a trail, that walking on the side of the road. There is not even a sidewalk and most of it is not 6' wide. And after poha town, there's not much scenery unless you call walking by 7/11 and tons of cane grass your style, nah.
Point, is, I think it's a about time Hilo made some nice walking paths. Looks like something a lot of people can enjoy instead of just making the loop around banyan drive. Since... if there is no side walk with aprons to keep the cars semi on the road and keep pedestrians safe, then it's not worth for most. JMO.
Maybe they should have substituted walking paths as trails. I guess I'm the only one that thinks this is a good idea.
Posts: 1,261
Threads: 55
Joined: Nov 2005
That was kind of my point, no, it was my point. Why do we need trails out in the woods when we don't even have one sidewalk through town? First things first.
Posts: 14,116
Threads: 424
Joined: Aug 2012
Why do we need trails out in the woods when we don't even have one sidewalk through town?
Why do we need a sidewalk through town when we don't even have useful emergency exit routes from our massive subdivisions?
First things first.
Tourism always comes first...
|