What to do on the Eastern side of the Big Island

The Big Island is the biggest in the Hawaiian islands and is quite impossible to drive around d the entire island in one day since it is so spread out. Here are some things to do and see on the Eastern side of the island.

As far as the Big Island’s East Coast goes, we drove up as far as Waipi’o Valley Overlook and down to Hilo. Unlike other islands, there are not roads going along the entire coast of the big island due to lava rock. I printed this map and took it with us, it’s a good reference for drive times. Make sure you turn on directions and leave them on because there is not cell phone service on all of the island roads. The order of items to see/do below is starting at the town of Hilo then driving up the coast to Waipi’o Overlook and then driving inland to Mauna Kea. This is a very full day’s itinerary.

Explore the town of Hilo & Coconut Island
Hilo is the biggest town on the island and offers an awesome farmer’s market, local shops and restaurants, farm tours, a zoo, botanical gardens, museums and more. Hilo also has its very own 28 acre island called coconut Island.
Read all of our favorites in Hilo in my blog post HERE.

When doing some research about the best waterfalls to see, Rainbow Falls also popped up. We did visit it, but I would advise to skip that stop. Above is a photo of what we thought it would look like, and below is a photo of what it looked like when we visited in August of 2021. We liked Akaka Falls much better (see next paragraph below).
View more info on Rainbow Falls HERE.

Akaka Falls State Park
There are an abundance of waterfalls on the island, but of the few we visited Akaka Falls was our favorite. The trail is a 0.4 Mile loop and offers a lush walk through the rainforest. You will need to pay $10 for parking in the lot, or if you can find parking on the side of the road outside the parking lot it’s free. It is also $5 per person to enter the state park.
View more info on the state park’s website HERE.

Waipi’o Fruit Shack
Just before you get to the Waipi’o Valley overlook, there is a very colorful fruit stand you can’t miss on the left. Stop before or after you go to the lookout. They have the most delicious tasting fresh fruit! They also have drink, açaí bowls, and plenty of picnic spots if you need to take a rest before getting back in the car to continue the drive.
View hours and more info on their Instagram HERE.

Waipi’o Valley Overlook
The view at the lookout is stunning. You can find plenty of street parking here and it is just a short walk to the view. This is the furthest North we drove on the big island, and from here we headed inland to Mauna Kea.
View more info about the overlook HERE.

Sunset at Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is privately owned and is not a National or State park. There are restrictions if you want to visit Mauna Kea’s summit. You cannot drive to the summit unless you have a 4WD vehicle. This is why we did not drive up to the summit. It is also advised that smaller children and pregnant women do not go up to the summit. You also must acclimate your body to the altitude by stopping at the visitor’s center for thirty minutes before proceeding to the summit in your 4WD vehicle. There are some tours that offer stargazing at the top of Mauna Kea.
Read more info on summiting Mauna Kea HERE.

We opted to visit the Visitor Information Station and then took a short walk up to the top of this lookout area. Bring blankets or jackets with you for Mauna Kea. We were FREEZING as the temps near the top are pretty cold (even in the middle of summer) and I had not packed any jackets for our trip. It is also quite windy at the top. The Visitor Information Center has a very small gift shop, some information on Mauna Kea and restrooms.
View more info about the Visitor’s Station HERE.

A few other things we wanted to do on the East side of the island but did not have time for:
Visit the Mauna Loa macadamia nut factory
Snorkel at Carlsmith Beach Park

For more things to do and see on your trip to the Big Island, check out my other blog posts HERE.

Finding the fun everywhere life takes us!
Love, Olivia Michelle