Island of Hawaiʻi › Hilo & the Hāmākua Coast

Sights in Hilo & the Hāmākua Coast

The rainy side pays you back in green: waterfalls minutes from downtown and gardens that feel primeval.

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ʻAkaka Falls State Park

A 442-foot freefall waterfall on an easy rainforest loop.

A paved 0.4-mile loop through bamboo and wild orchids leads to viewpoints of ʻAkaka Falls and smaller Kahūnā Falls. Fifteen minutes north of Hilo off the scenic Hāmākua drive; out-of-state visitors pay entry and parking fees.

Time: 45 minutes

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Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue)

An 80-foot falls with morning rainbows, right in town.

Part of Wailuku River State Park, minutes from downtown Hilo. Come mid-morning on a sunny day for the namesake rainbow in the mist; the viewing area is steps from the parking lot.

Time: 20 minutes

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Liliʻuokalani Gardens & Banyan Drive

Japanese-style bayfront gardens ringed by celebrity-planted banyans.

A 24-acre Edo-style garden of ponds, bridges and pagodas on Hilo Bay, connected by footbridge to tiny Coconut Island. Free, breezy, and best at golden hour.

Time: 1 hour