Hawaii Trails

[Dogwood]

I prefer descending on unknown routes or the Ainapo Trail. There's a cabin on this trail again with a rain catchment system.

For those having the time or desire to experience HI Volcanoes NP more extensively or simply want to know what I like to do: I do a big HIVNP Loop starting from the Namakanipao CG (public bus will drop ya off, can be buggy with skeeters) hiking on a trail that parallels ML Rd or running the Rd to the ML Lookout, summit ML and descending on the Ainapo Tr. I connect with the Ka'u Desert Tr at Maunaiki. Stay at the Pepeiao Cabin(never met anyone there, kind cobwebby, it's built like the ML cabin) connecting to the Ka'aha Tr to Hilina Pali Tr to Puna Coast Tr to Chain Of Craters Rd. These trails along the coast are my fav in all of HIV NP with a stay at Halape mandatory(my favorite place to camp in the NP). Stop by the Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs. Connect with the Naulu Tr. Hike the one way back and out on the Kalapana Tr if the lava viewing is good at the end of this trail. This is the East Rift Zone. It is not an area to take lightly! Connect with the Napau Tr with a night at the Napau Crater CS. This place is so sparsely utilized! The CS's are in 10 ft tall fern forests. Pu'u O'o is sometimes active and lava can erupt in a curtain here. Awesome to behold! Come out by Pauahi Crater near the Escape RD passing mostly ignored Makapuhi Crater. Hit up a walk through Turston Lava Tube and catch a public bus back at the Kiluaea vistors Center back to Kona/Kealakekua or Hilo.

This takes me 5 days 4 nights. https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/maps.htm
I could do it faster but like the Sierras there's so much unique wonderful eye candy to behold.
For someone like CR he might like dedicating himself to a hike that starts in Hilo. Summits ML. Then, comes down by the saddle and then summits Mauna Kea and comes out through Forests Rds. No water is found on this hike. It's um rough.